Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FOUNT, or FOUNT'AIN, n. [L. fons; Fr. fontaine; Sp. fuente; It. fonte, fontana; W. fynnon, a fountain or source; fyniaw, fynu, to produce, to generate, to abound; fwn, a source, breath, puff; fwnt, produce.]

1. A spring, or source of water; properly, a spring or issuing of water from the earth. This word accords in sense with well, in our mother tongue; but we now distinguish them, applying fountain to a natural spring of water, and well to an artificial pit of water, issuing from the interior of the earth.
2. A small basin of springing water. Taylor.
3. A jet; a spouting of water; an artificial spring. Bacon.
4. The head or source of a river. Dryden.
5. Original; first principle or cause; the source of any thing. Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness. Common Prayer. Fount of types. [See Font.]