a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
"The garden features an ornate bronze fountain where a steady jet of water shoots high into the air."
a natural flow of ground water
"After hiking through the desert, we found relief at an old oasis where a clear fountain gushed from the earth."
A natural source of water; a spring.
"The hikers rested beside the clear mountain fountain where cold water bubbled up from the rock."
In plain English: A fountain is an outdoor structure that shoots water into the air from a basin below it.
"The children gathered around the fountain to splash in the cool water on a hot summer day."
To flow or gush as if from a fountain.
"The warm water began to bubble and spout up through the cracked pavement like a sudden fountain."
In plain English: To fountain is to spray water out of your mouth when you are sick or excited.
"The water from the broken pipe began to fountain everywhere across the floor."
A ghost town in California.
"The old mining settlement known as Fountain was once a bustling hub before being abandoned and left to reclaim by nature."
The word fountain entered English via the Old French fontaine, which itself came from a Late Latin term meaning "of or belonging to a source." Ultimately, it traces back to the Latin root for a natural water outlet.