Standard Lemma guide

fount

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /faʊnt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /fɒnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /faʊnt/
  • General-American: /fɑnt/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊnt
  • rhymes with -ɒnt
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Synonym of fountain (“a natural source of water”); a spring.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, poetic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: font, fountain

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A device from which poultry may drink; a waterer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, broadly

Topics: agriculture, business, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

That from which something proceeds; an origin, a source.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • He is a real fount of knowledge!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Archaic spelling of font.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, alt-of, archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Alternative form of found (past tense of find)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern, US, alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a plumbing fixture that provides a flow of water

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fountain

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plumbing fixture

7

noun

Meaning 7

a specific size and style of type within a type family

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: font, typeface, face, case

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: type

Narrower terms: unicameral script, bicameral script, typewriter font, constant-width font, fixed-width font, monospaced font, proportional font, font cartridge, cartridge font, Gothic, black letter, boldface, bold face, bold, italic, screen font, raster font, sans serif, Helvetica

History

Etymology

Clipping of fountain, on the pattern of the pair mount, mountain.

A variant of font, influenced by fount (etymology 1) being a synonym of font (“natural source of water, spring”).

Variant of found.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Aragonese: fuent — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Extremaduran: fuenti — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Extremaduran: huenti — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • French: font — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • French: fontaine — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Galician: fonte — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Italian: fonte — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Kazakh: қайнар (qainar) — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Kazakh: бастау (bastau) — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Kazakh: қайнар бұлақ (qainar būlaq) — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Latin: fōns — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Spanish: fuente — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Turkish: pınar — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Turkish: bulak — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Turkish: kaynak — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Turkish: memba — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Turkish: göze — synonym of fountain (cognates) — see also spring
  • Aragonese: fuent — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Extremaduran: fuenti — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Extremaduran: huenti — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Galician: fonte — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Italian: fonte — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Kazakh: қайнар көз (qainar köz) — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Portuguese: fonte — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source
  • Spanish: fuente — that from which something proceeds (cognates) — see also origin, source