▪ I. fountain, n.
(ˈfaʊntɪn)
Forms: 5–6 fontayn(e, -eyn(e, 5–7 -taine, fountayn(e, 6 fontane, 6–7 fountaine, 7– fountain.
[late ME. fontayne, a. OF. fontaine:—late L. fontāna (whence Pr., Sp., Pg., It. fontana, Welsh ffynnawn, -on), fem. of L. fontānus pertaining to a fount, f. font-, fons fount n.1]
1. a. A spring or source of water issuing from the earth and collecting in a basin, natural or artificial; also, the head-spring or source of a stream or river. Now arch. or poet. exc. fig.
| c 1450 Merlin 308 To this fountayn ofte tyme com nimiane for to disporte. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xviii. 400 A fore the gate sprange a quycke fontaine. 1535 Coverdale Gen. viii. 2 The fountaynes of the depe and the wyndowes of heauen were stopte. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. ii. v. 23 Like to a bubling fountaine stir'd with winde. 1635 N. Carpenter Geog. Del. ii. ix. 163 Some would haue the great riuer Tanais not to haue his head or fountaine in the Riphæan mountains. 1671 Milton Samson 581 God, who caused a fountain at thy prayer From the dry ground to spring, etc. 1692 Ray Dissol. World ii. ii (1732) 83 Making Rivers to ascend to their Fountains. 1727 Dyer Grongar Hill 20 So oft I have, At the fountain of a rill Sate upon a flow'ry bed. 1812 Brackenridge Views Louisiana (1814) 105 The greatest objection to this country is the want of fountains and running streams. 1842 Tennyson Amphion 96 The vilest herb that runs to seed Beside its native fountain. |
b. Used with reference to baptism (
cf. font).
| [1526 Tindale Eph. v. 26 Clensed it in the fountayne of water thorowe the worde.] 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer Offices 8 Them which at this fountayne forsake the deuill and all his workes. |
c. transf.| 1526–34 Tindale Mark v. 29 And streyght waye her fountayne of bloude was dryed vp. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. i. 92 With purple fountains issuing from your veins. |
d. fig. A spring, source, ‘well’. (Often in
pl.)
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. i. (1495) 6 God is the fountayne of all godenesse and of all vertue. 14.. Balade to our Ladie (Chaucer's Wks. 1561) Fountain al filthlesse, as birell current clere. 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. vi. 30 Parys Oxenford & Cambryge ben the fontayns where men may drawe out most science. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Post-Communion, Almightie God, the fountayn of all wisdome. 1589 Pasquil's Ret. C iij, This mischiefe hath many fountaines. 1660 Barrow Euclid Pref. (1714) 3 Some principal Rules of practical Geometry, reducing them to their original Fountains. 1766 Blackstone Comm. II. 223 The French law, which is derived from the same feodal fountain. 1844 Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. xvii. (1862) 268 The Crown is the fountain of honour. 1861 Tulloch Eng. Purit. i. 116 Long-practised craft had poisoned the very fountains of trust in him. |
2. a. A jet or stream of water made to rise or spout up artificially; the structure built for such a jet or stream to rise and fall in; also, an erection in a public place for a constant supply of fresh water for drinking (more fully,
drinking fountain). Applied also to a natural jet of water, as that of a geyser.
| 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xviii. ix, A dulcet spring and marvaylous fountaine Of golde and asure made all certaine. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 60 In the midst of all a fountaine stood, Of richest substance that on earth might bee. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. ii. ii. 77 My Statue, Which like a Fountaine, with an hundred spouts Did run pure blood. 1625 Bacon Ess., Gardens (Arb.) 561 Fountaines I intend to be of two Natures: the One that sprinckleth or Spouteth Water; the Other a Faire Receipt of Water,..without Fish, or Slime, or Mud. a 1631 Donne Poems (1650) 23 A stone fountaine weeping out the yeare. 1717 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to Lady Rich 1 Apr., There were four fountains of cold water in this room. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 28 It had been formerly a Fountain, but was only choak'd up..I ask'd..if he had ever known it to play. 1841–4 Emerson Ess., Art Wks. (Bohn) I. 145 Let spouting fountains cool the air, Singing in the sun-baked square. 1882 Cassell s.v. Drinking-fountain, Modern drinking fountains began to be erected in Liverpool in 1857. The first one in London was opened to the public on April 12, 1859. 1886 A. Winchell Walks & Talks in Geol. Field 84 Instantly the fountain [of the Great Geyser of Iceland] began to play with the utmost violence. |
b. A metal vessel containing aerated water for drinking; a box containing ice and a coil through which aerated water is drawn (
= soda-fountain).
U.S.| 1843 ‘R. Carlton’ New Purchase I. 52, I shall make no attempt to record their..puns—good things of the sort, like soda-water, had better be taken at the fountain. 1873 J. H. Beadle Undevel. West xxxi. 675 A drink equal to the best soda from fountains. 1936 Amer. Speech XI. 38 The craze for this sort of fountain entertainment seems to be on the wane. 1955 H. Roth Sleeper xvi. 131 He had neglected to tip the fountain man. |
3. Her. A roundel, barry wavy of six, argent and azure.
| 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. iv. 96 He beareth..a Bend..betweene six Fountaines Proper. 1864 Boutell Her. Hist. & Pop. v. 25 In representation, the Bezant, Plate, and Fountain, are flat. 1868 Cussans Her. iv. 70 A Bend between six Fountains forms the Coat of the Stourton Family. |
4. A reservoir or compartment for holding oil, ink, etc., in an Argand lamp, a printing-press, etc.
5. Conchol. (See
quot.)
| 1895 Edin. Rev. Oct. 355 Fountains and watering-pots..and helmet-shells..names which have been locally..applied to a few of the multitudinous species of Mollusca. |
6. attrib. and
Comb. a. simple
attrib. (chiefly appositive and
fig. = belonging to or of the nature of a spring or source, original).
| 1645 Rutherford Tryal & Tri. Faith (1845) 5 The fountain-love, the fountain-delight, the fountain-joy of men and angels. 1648 Boyle Seraph. Love xviii. (1700) 111 His Love is the first Original and Fountain-blessing. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. ix. 446 The universal fountain-fulness of one supreme almighty goodness. 1662 J. Chandler Van Helmont's Oriat. 286 The Fountain-light of the soul. 1678 Marvell Def. Howe Wks. 1875 IV. 192 The original and fountain-Being. 1803–6 Wordsw. Intimat. Immort. ix, Those shadowy recollections, Which be they what they may, Are yet the fountain light of all our day. 1846 Trench Mirac. vi. (1862) 191 In contact with Him who is the fountain-flame of all life. |
b. Comb., as
fountain-brim,
fountain-side;
fountain-fruitful adj.; also
fountain-fish, a ctenophoran;
fountain-pen, a pen furnished with an ink-reservoir;
fountain-pipe, a pipe which supplies a fountain with water;
fountain-tree, a name for the deodar (
Treas. Bot. 1866); also, ‘a tree in the Canary Isles which distills water from its leaves’ (W.);
† fountain-water, fresh water from a spring, spring-water.
| 1634 Milton Comus 119 By dimpled brook and *fountain-brim. |
| 1641 G. Sandys Paraphr. Song Sol. iv. ii, The *Fountain-fruitfull Lebanon. |
| 1710 M. Henry Expos. Bible, Zechariah iv. 2 Without any further Care they [sc. lamps] received Oil as fast as they wasted it, (as in those which we call Fountain Inkhorns, or *Fountain Pens). 1789 F. Burney Diary 18 Aug. (1842) 51, I took my fountain pen, and wrote my rough journal. 1823 Dict. Math. & Phys. Sc., Fountain-pen. 1833 Mechanics' Mag. XIX. 319/1 The introduction of this paper will go far to supersede the use of fountain-pens of all kinds. 1892 E. Reeves Homewd. Bound 164 One silver pocket-knife and fountain-pen. |
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 226 Look to your *Fountain-Pipes. |
| 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 326 By a fresh *fountain-side. 1725 Pope Odyss. xv. 480 Descry'd By road frequented, or by fountain-side. |
| 1572 L. Mascall Plant. & Graff. (1592) 78 Mingled with a little *Fountaine or running water. 1612 Enchir. Med. ii. 7 Let it be boyled in foure pints of fountaine water. 1678 R. Russell Geber iv. iv. 245 Common Salt is dissolved in clear Fountain Water. |
▪ II. ˈfountain, v. [f. the n.] a. intr. To rise like the waters of a fountain.
b. trans. To cause to well up in the manner of a fountain.
| 1903 Hardy Dynasts i. i. iii. 27 Soon stars will shut..And sunbeams fountain forth. 1948 G. H. Johnston Death takes Small Bites vii. 174 And then a high log broke and dropped into the ashes of the fire and the sparks fountained. 1967 D. Knight Turning On 94 Fire fountained from the church spire, red sparks floating on the wind. 1969 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 16 May 45/3 Seven tons of water fountained up at 125 m.p.h. to a height of over 400 feet. Ibid. 28 Nov. 8/1 A water main..suddenly fountained 20,000 gallons of water down the Haymarket. |