source
Americannoun
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any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin.
Which foods are sources of calcium?
- Synonyms:
- originator, supplier
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the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.
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a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.
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the person or business making interest or dividend payments.
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a manufacturer or supplier.
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Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.
verb (used with object)
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to give or trace the source for.
The research paper was not accurately sourced.
The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.
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to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for.
Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.
verb (used without object)
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to contract a manufacturer or supplier.
Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.
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to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like.
a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.
noun
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the point or place from which something originates
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a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring
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the area where the headwaters of a river rise
the source of the Nile
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a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates something
the source of a complaint
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any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained
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( as modifier )
source material
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anything, such as a story or work of art, that provides a model or inspiration for a later work
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electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor from which majority carriers flow into the interelectrode conductivity channel
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at the point of origin
verb
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to determine the source of a news report or story
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to originate from
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(tr) to establish an originator or source of (a product, piece of information, etc)
Other Word Forms
- sourceful adjective
- sourcefulness noun
- sourceless adjective
Etymology
Origin of source
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sours (noun), from Old French sors (masculine), sourse, source (feminine), noun use of past participle of sourdre, from Latin surgere “to spring up or forth”; surge
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its deviations from the source material are digressions done with love.
From Salon
Balbach plans to continue investigating how sperm rely on different fuel sources, including glucose and fructose, to meet their energy demands.
From Science Daily
"Because that is the real source of happiness in life."
From BBC
Yaroslavsky said the assessment has been unchanged since 1996, forcing city leaders to rely on other sources of money to cover the cost.
From Los Angeles Times
Sewage and debris flow from Tijuana are an ever-present threat and decades-long source of frustration and anger in Imperial Beach, where beaches have been closed and some residents have planted “Stop the Stink” yard signs.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
