philosophy, a spring or source of water rising out of the earth. Among the ancients, fountains were held sacred, and even worshipped as a kind of divinities. For the phenomena, theory, and origin of fountains, see Hydrostatics.

Artificial Fountain, called also a jet d'eau, is a contrivance by which water is violently spouted upwards. See Hydrostatics.

Fourche'e, or Fourchy, in heraldry, an appellation given to a cross forked at the ends. See Plate LXXX. fig. 8.