Fountainheads

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A source or origin from which something flows or is derived, often referring to creative ideas or inspiration
2. A prominent or influential figure in a particular field or discipline, acting as a guiding force
3. An essential point of reference or foundation that leads to the development of additional concepts or projects

Etymology: "Fountainheads" is the plural of "fountainhead," a noun meaning an original source, and the singular is a plain compound of "fountain" and "head." The first element comes from Old French "fontaine," ultimately from Latin "fontana," meaning a spring or source of water, while "head" carries its familiar sense of a top, a front, or a beginning point. Put together, the picture is literal: the head of a stream, the point where water first rises from the ground. The sense moved from that physical spring to a figurative one. A fountainhead is where something flows from, so the word came to describe the primary origin of ideas, traditions, or influence, much as a river's source is its first and most important point. The plural simply names several such origins at once.

Synonyms: sources, origins