fount

noun

1. (archaic, poetic)Synonym of fountain (“a natural source of water”); a spring.

   “VVhy ſhould the vvorme intrude the maiden bud? / Or hatefull Kuckcovves [cuckoos] hatch in Sparrovvs neſts? / Or Todes infect faire founts vvith venome mud? / […] / But no perfection is ſo abſolute, / That ſome impuritie doth not pollute.”

   “[T]his top-proud fellovv, / […] / From ſincere motions, by Intelligence, / And proofes as cleere as Founts in Iuly, vvhen / VVee ſee each graine of grauell; I doe knovv / To be corrupt and treaſonous.”

   “[F]rom that Saphire Fount the criſped Brooks, / Rovvling on Orient Pearl and ſands of Gold, / VVith mazie error under pendant ſhades / Ran Nectar, viſiting each plant, and fed / Flours vvorthy of Paradiſe […]”

   “[F]rom the rock, vvith liquid lapſe diſtills / A limpid fount; that ſpread in parting rills / Its current thence to ſerve the city brings: […]”

   “High to their fount, this day, amid the hills, / And vvoodlands vvarbling round, trace up the brooks; […]”

2. (archaic, broadly)A device from which poultry may drink; a waterer.

   “A. H. Hews & Co., North Cambridge, Mass. Manufacturers of Poultry Water Founts. Capacities one quart, two quarts, three quarts, and four quarts. For sale, wholesale and retail.”

   “On north side an alley six feet wide whole length of building, partitioned as follows: 1st, Feed troughs and water founts; above these, at proper height, two tiers of nest boxes, one above the other— […]”

3. (figuratively)That from which something proceeds; an origin, a source.

   “He is a real fount of knowledge!”

   “This was the ſad beginning of our woes / that was from hell on wretched mortalls hurld / & from this fount did all thoſe miſchiefes flow / whoſe inundation drowneth all the world.”

   “Come, thou Fount of ev'ry Bleſſing, / Tune my Heart to ſing thy Grace: / Streams of Mercy never ceaſing, / Call for Songs of loudeſt Praiſe: […]”

   “O, I see the crescent promise of my spirit hath not set. / Ancient founts of inspiration well thro' all my fancy yet.”

   “And was the day of my delight / ⁠As pure and perfect as I say? / ⁠The very source and fount of Day / Is dash’d with wandering isles of night.”

4. (British, alt-of, archaic)Archaic spelling of font.

   “For the small characters it was in fact imperative to use such a fount as was available; not to mention that no strictly accurate fount of Chinese type has as yet been cast.”

   “Mr. Tallboy corrected the misprints, damned their eyes for using the wrong name-block, made it clear to them that they had set the headlines in the wrong fount, cut the proof to pieces, pasted it up again in the correct size, and returned it.”

   “The company is to be congratulated on the neatness and businesslike look of the tickets, and also on the very clear and artistic founts of type which are used.”

verb

1. (Southern, US, alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of found (past tense of find)