Hypertext Webster Gateway: "fountain"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Fountain
(Heb. 'ain; i.e., "eye" of the water desert), a natural source
of living water. Palestine was a "land of brooks of water, of
fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills"
(Deut. 8:7; 11:11).
These fountains, bright sparkling "eyes" of the desert, are
remarkable for their abundance and their beauty, especially on
the west of Jordan. All the perennial rivers and streams of the
country are supplied from fountains, and depend comparatively
little on surface water. "Palestine is a country of mountains
and hills, and it abounds in fountains of water. The murmur of
these waters is heard in every dell, and the luxuriant foliage
which surrounds them is seen in every plain." Besides its
rain-water, its cisterns and fountains, Jerusalem had also an
abundant supply of water in the magnificent reservoir called
"Solomon's Pools" (q.v.), at the head of the Urtas valley,
whence it was conveyed to the city by subterrean channels some
10 miles in length. These have all been long ago destroyed, so
that no water from the "Pools" now reaches Jerusalem. Only one
fountain has been discovered at Jerusalem, the so-called
"Virgins's Fountains," in the valley of Kidron; and only one
well (Heb. beer), the Bir Eyub, also in the valley of Kidron,
south of the King's Gardens, which has been dug through the
solid rock. The inhabitants of Jerusalem are now mainly
dependent on the winter rains, which they store in cisterns.
(See {WELL}.)
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Fountain \Foun"tain\ (foun"t[i^]n), n. [F. fontaine, LL.
fontana, fr. L. fons, fontis. See 2d {Fount}.]
1. A spring of water issuing from the earth.
2. An artificially produced jet or stream of water; also, the
structure or works in which such a jet or stream rises or
flows; a basin built and constantly supplied with pure
water for drinking and other useful purposes, or for
ornament.
3. A reservoir or chamber to contain a liquid which can be
conducted or drawn off as needed for use; as, the ink
fountain in a printing press, etc.
4. The source from which anything proceeds, or from which
anything is supplied continuously; origin; source.
Judea, the fountain of the gospel. --Fuller.
Author of all being, Fountain of light, thyself
invisible. --Milton.
{Air fountain}. See under {Air}.
{Fountain heead}, primary source; original; first principle.
--Young.
{Fountain inkstand}, an inkstand having a continual supply of
ink, as from elevated reservoir.
{Fountain lamp}, a lamp fed with oil from an elevated
reservoir.
{Fountain pen}, a pen with a reservoir in the handle which
furnishes a supply of ink.
{Fountain pump}.
(a) A structure for a fountain, having the form of a pump.
(b) A portable garden pump which throws a jet, for
watering plants, etc.
{Fountain shell} (Zo["o]l.), the large West Indian conch
shell ({Strombus gigas}).
{Fountain of youth}, a mythical fountain whose waters were
fabled to have the property of renewing youth.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
fountain
n 1: a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water
arises
2: a natural flow of ground water [syn: {spring}, {outflow}, {outpouring},
{natural spring}]
3: an artificially produced flow of water [syn: {jet}]
4: a plumbing fixture that provides a flow of water [syn: {fount}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.