In printing, a font is a set of characters of the same style and size.
2. countable noun
In a church, a font is a bowl which holds the water used for baptisms.
font in British English1
(fɒnt)
noun
1.
a.
a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal
b.
a receptacle for holy water
2.
the reservoir for oil in an oil lamp
3. archaic or poetic
a fountain or well
Derived forms
fontal (ˈfontal)
adjective
Word origin
Old English, from Church Latin fons, from Latin: fountain
font in British English2
(fɒnt)
noun
printing
a complete set of type of one style and size
Also called: fount
Word origin
C16: from Old French fonte a founding, casting, from Vulgar Latin funditus (unattested) a casting, from Latin fundere to melt; see found3
font in American English1
(fɑnt)
noun
1.
a.
a large basin, now typically supported by a pedestal, for holding water to be used in baptizing
b.
an open container, as at a church entrance, for holding holy water
2. Archaic
a fountain or spring
3.
a source or origin
Derived forms
fontal (ˈfontal)
adjective
Word origin
ME < OE < L fons (gen. fontis), spring, fountain
font in American English2
(fɑnt)
noun
Printing
a complete assortment of type in one size and style
Word origin
Fr fonte < fondre, to cast, UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Examples of 'font' in a sentence
font
There are many different styles of font.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
Our experience suggests that longer pieces are easier to read when the font is slightly larger.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Offer a menu with a larger font.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Why does the font size change?
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Stick with a consistent font size.
Christianity Today (2000)
The largest font size is 36 point.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
All packs will be identical in terms of font, size and colour.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In the above example, our second declaration specifies which font to use.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The app lets you save images and change the font size, and it keeps a browsing history.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I have a friend who took two weeks to decide what font to use on his blog.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I know they can enhance reading, especially for the elderly because the font size can be enlarged.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The gold bowl used as a font was brought from Windsor Castle.
Ziegler, Philip King Edward VIII - The Official Biography (1990)
Find out why the font you use matters, when you should make it personal, and how to big yourself up.
The Sun (2013)
In other languages
font
British English: font NOUN
In printing, a font is a set of characters of the same style and size.
...the immense variety of fonts available in the word processor program.
American English: font
Brazilian Portuguese: fonte
Chinese: 字体
European Spanish: fuente
French: police de caractères
German: Schrift
Italian: carattere
Japanese: フォント
Korean: 글자체
European Portuguese: tipo de letra
Latin American Spanish: tipo
All related terms of 'font'
bitmap font
a font format in which letters and symbols are stored as a pattern of dots
vector font
a font format that makes use of fillable geometric outlines of letters and symbols, allowing fonts to be scaled up or down while still retaining their intended shape
outline font
a font format that makes use of fillable geometric outlines of letters and symbols, allowing fonts to be scaled up or down while still retaining their intended shape
baptismal font
a large bowl for baptismal water, usually mounted on a pedestal
proportional font
a font type in which the width of letters and symbols varies depending on the letter or symbol