Dictionary

wellspring en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English wellespring, from Old English wiellspring, wiellġespring (“spring, fount, fountain”), corresponding to well + spring. More at well, spring.

Meanings

1. The source of water for a stream, spring or well; a fountainhead; a wellhead.
2. (figuratively) A perennial source of anything; a fountainhead of supply or emanation; resource.
   • We’re so often taught to simply believe in ourselves—to trust our instincts—that to see a narrative in which second-guessing oneself and refusing one’s deepest impulses is a potential wellspring of charity and good is, in itself, noteworthy. 2020 September 28, Alex McLevy, “Marilynne Robinson finds transcendence in the stunning, soul-searching Jack”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2020:
   • Krapp’s Last Tape has been acted by prisoners in San Quentin and made into a chamber opera. It goes to the wellspring of an actor. Well, most of the time: when Albert Finney played the part, Beckett went to sleep in rehearsals. 2025 April 27, Susannah Clapp, “Gary Oldman is extraordinary in Krapp’s Last Tape”, in The Observer, archived from the original on 29 Apr 2025:

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