Standard Lemma guide

fountainhead

noun · 4 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A spring that is the source of a river.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An abundant source of knowledge, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an abundant source

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was a well of information

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: well, wellspring

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: source

4

noun

Meaning 4

the source of water from which a stream arises

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they tracked him back toward the head of the stream

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: headspring, head

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beginning, origin, root, rootage, source

History

Etymology

From fountain + head.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: աղբերակ (aġberak) — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Chinese Mandarin: 源頭 /源头 (yuántóu) — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Chinese Mandarin: 水源 (shuǐyuán) — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Finnish: alkulähde — a spring that is the source of a river
  • German: Quelle — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Greek: βρυσομάνα (vrysomána) — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Hungarian: kútfő — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Central Kurdish: سەرچاوە (serçawe) — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Māori: mātāwai — a spring that is the source of a river
  • Chinese Mandarin: 本源 (běnyuán) — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Finnish: lähde — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • German: Ursprung — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • German: Quelle — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Hungarian: kútfő — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Hungarian: kútforrás — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Italian: sorgente — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Italian: fonte — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Manx: ard-phersoon — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
  • Russian: первоисточник (pervoistočnik) — an abundant source of knowledge, etc.
Real reading context

fountainhead in complete knowledge articles