Headspring

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A natural source where water surfaces from the ground, often marking the beginning of a river or stream
2. A point where groundwater emerges at the surface, commonly initiating a watercourse or stream
3. An origin where subterranean water flows out, frequently signaling the start of a river or creek

Etymology: "Headspring" is a plain compound: "head," meaning the source or origin of something, joined to "spring," a place where water wells up from the ground. The "head" in this sense is the older meaning of the word, found in phrases like the "head of a river," and it has long been used for the uppermost point from which a stream flows. The compound comes from Middle English, where "head" and "spring" were both in everyday use, so the word is a transparent pairing of two native English elements rather than a borrowing. Its literal sense is the spot where a stream rises, and the figurative sense of an origin or source of something grew naturally from that picture.