noun
wellspring
WEL-spring/ˈwelsprɪŋ/
A spring from which water flows.
Clear water flows from a wellspring near the rocky hillside.
Etymology
Both pieces evoke water emerging from the earth, together naming a fountainhead. The figurative sense treats an abundant origin of ideas, feelings, or other things as a source from which they flow.
In context
this is the wellspring the source of magic and fantasy in all the whims of the imagination
More examples
- The wellspring supplies fresh water to the nearby village.
- Several wellsprings feed the creek throughout the year.
- We fill our bottles at the wellspring before hiking uphill.
Forms
wellspring · wellsprings
Similar words
- spring
- Spring is the usual everyday term for this water source.
- fountainhead
- Fountainhead emphasizes the source where a stream or river begins.