sourcenoun [ C ]
uk/sɔːs/us/sɔːrs/B2 the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something:
a source of heat/energy/light
a heat/energy/light source
Oranges are a good source of vitamin C.
Experts are trying to track down the source of the contamination in the water supply.
We walked up the river to its source in the hills.
Money is often a source of tension and disagreements in young married couples.
C1 someone or something that supplies information:
The journalist refused to reveal her sources (= say who had given the information to her).
According to government sources (= people in the government) many MPs are worried about this issue.
According to congressional sources (= people who work in Congress) many Representatives are worried about this issue.
Always acknowledge your sources (= say which books you have used) at the end of a paper.
at source
at the place where something comes from:
Tax is deducted from my income at source.
More examples
- The opera house is a great source of civic pride.
- His main source of work had dried up, leaving him short of money.
- Some alluvial deposits are a rich source of diamonds.
- Engineers are endeavouring to locate the source of the problem.
- He's established himself as a dependable source of information.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Origins and sources
- be a recipe for disaster, trouble, success, etc. idiom
- beginning
- birthplace
- born
- breeding ground
- come from somewhere/sth
- emanate from/through sth/sb
- fount
- genesis
- hail from somewhere
- issue
- issue from sth
- recipe
- root
- seed
- son
- stem
- stem from sth
- the cradle of sth idiom
- ur-
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
People who reveal secrets & tell tales
Taxation
sourceverb [ T often passive ]
uk/sɔːs/us/sɔːrs/to get something from a particular place:
Where possible the produce used in our restaurant is sourced locally.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Finding and discovering
- a fishing expedition idiom
- alight
- ascertain
- break fresh/new ground idiom
- breakthrough
- catch sb red-handed idiom
- flush
- get hold of idiom
- get wind of sth idiom
- happen
- happen on/upon sth/sb
- have a (good) nose for sth idiom
- rediscover
- root sth/sb out
- run sb/sth to ground idiom
- scent
- search
- search sth/sb out
- smell
- stumble
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