fountainhead of innovative ideas
- noun
- Formal
- This university has long been celebrated as a fountainhead of innovative ideas in science and technology.
Examples
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Silicon Valley is a fountainhead of innovative ideas.
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The research institute is a fountainhead of innovative ideas for the entire industry.
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Many regarded Steve Jobs as the fountainhead of innovative ideas at Apple.
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The university has become a fountainhead of innovative ideas in technology.
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Many regarded Steve Jobs as the fountainhead of innovative ideas at Apple.
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The research institute is a fountainhead of innovative ideas for the entire industry.
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This university has long been celebrated as a fountainhead of innovative ideas in science and technology.
Synonyms
2
8.7
A main source of new ideas and knowledge
1
6.1
A main place where many new ideas and technology begin
1
4.4
A source that gives many new creative ideas
Antonyms
How Productive
- Formal
7
7.2
441
3.5
13
4.2
∞
2.6
∞
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
fountainhead + of + innovative + idea
The meaning 'primary and abundant source of creative concepts' is directly derivable from combining 'fountainhead' (a source) with the prepositional structure 'of innovative ideas' — a straightforward 'source of X' composition. Although 'fountainhead' is metaphorical and somewhat literary, if a B1 learner knows the constituent words the overall sense is transparent and predictable.
Etymology
Fountainhead of innovative ideas comes from the image of a fountain or spring that starts in one spot and pours water out. So calling someone or somewhere a fountainhead means it is the main, rich 'source' of new ideas.