noun
source
saws
noun
1
The place, person, or thing that something originates from.
"Solar power is a renewable source of energy."
"The journalist refused to reveal her source."
2
The point where a river or stream begins.
"The river's source is a small spring high in the mountains."
verb
1
To obtain something, especially for a business.
"The bakery sources its flour from a local mill."
How to Use Source
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhere something comes from — information, water, materials — or the act of obtaining it.
Common pairings
source of income
reliable source
source materials locally
Word Forms
sourced past tense, sources plural, sources singular
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Solar power is a renewable _____ of energy.
Etymology
From Old French sourse ("a rising, a spring"), from Latin surgere ("to rise") — the same root that gives us "surge."