a font

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A set of type of one particular face and size: In printing and digital typography, "a font" refers to a complete set of characters (letters, numbers, punctuation) that share a consistent design, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Garamond.
   • A receptacle for holy water: In ecclesiastical contexts, "a font" is a basin, often made of stone, that holds water for baptism.

Usage Examples

• Noun (typography):

  • The designer chose a font that was easy to read for the website. (A specific typeface design used for text.)
  • Please change the font to 12-point Times New Roman. (A particular style and size of type.)

• Noun (religious):

  • The priest blessed the water in the font before the baptism. (The basin used for the baptismal ceremony.)

Advanced Usage

• "to change the font": to alter the typeface used in a document or design.

  • You can change the font in your word processor to make the text more attractive. (Select a different typeface.)

• "a font of knowledge": a metaphorical use meaning a source or wellspring of information.

  • She is a font of knowledge about medieval history. (She is a rich source of information.)

Variants and Related Words

• Font size (n): the measurement of how large or small the characters appear.

  • The font size should be at least 12 points for readability. (The height of the type.)

• Font family (n): a group of related fonts that share design features, such as Arial, Arial Bold, and Arial Italic.

  • This document uses a font family that includes regular, bold, and italic styles. (A set of related typefaces.)

Synonyms

• Typeface: the design of the characters in a font (often used interchangeably with "font" in common usage).
• Fount: an alternative spelling of "font" (chiefly British English), referring to a source or a set of type.

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

• To be a font of all wisdom: to be regarded as an extremely knowledgeable person.

  • He acts as if he is a font of all wisdom, but he often makes mistakes. (He pretends to know everything.)

• To drink from the font of knowledge: to learn extensively from a source of information.

  • She spent years drinking from the font of knowledge at the university library. (Absorbing vast amounts of learning.)