Wellsprings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A source or origin of something plentiful, often referring to ideas or emotions
2. A natural spring that provides water, representing abundance in resources or inspiration
3. A metaphorical term for a supply or reservoir of creativity or insight that fuels further development

Etymology: "Wellsprings" is the plural of "wellspring," a word built from two plain English parts: "well," a source of water dug or springing up from the ground, and "spring," a place where water rises naturally. Put together, the compound literally names a fount of water that rises out of the earth. The word came into English from Middle English "wellespring," which in turn descends from Old English "wiellspring" and "wiellġespring," both meaning a spring or fountain. The metaphorical sense, a source from which something abundant flows, grew naturally out of that literal picture, so that a wellspring of ideas or creativity is imagined as water welling up without end.

Synonyms: sources, origins, fountains

Antonyms: drains, outflows