source

Definitions

1. noun

   The place or person that something comes from.

   Examples

   • The police asked about the source of the drugs.
   • Wood was once the main source of fuel.
   ≈fund
2. noun

   The place where a river begins.

   Examples

   • The Euphrates has two main sources in the mountains.
   • Most rivers in the Himalayas are untouched near their sources.
3. noun

   A person who gives secret information to a reporter.

   Examples

   • The journalist protected the name of her source.
   • A source close to the talks shared the details.
4. noun

   The written code of a computer program.

   Examples

   • The developer released the source under an open license.
   • You will need to compile the source before running it.
5. noun

   One end of a type of transistor, in electronics.

   Examples

   • The current flows in through the source terminal.
   • Engineers measured the voltage at the source.
6. noun

   In computer science, a point in a graph where all lines go out.

   Examples

   • The search begins at the source node.
   • Every path in the graph starts at the source.
7. noun

   In math, the starting set of a function.

   Examples

   • The function maps each item of the source to the target.
   • The source is where the arrow starts.
8. verb

   To get something, especially for a business.

   Examples

   • The shop can source more chairs from another supplier.
   • The company sourced its materials from local suppliers.
9. verb

   To find where a quote or fact came from.

   Examples

   • The editor asked her to source the quote before printing it.
   • He spent an hour trying to source the famous line.