different between source vs means

English

Etymology

From Middle English sours, from Old French sorse (“rise, beginning, spring, source”), from sors, past participle of sordre, sourdre, from Latin surg? (“to rise”). See surge.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /s??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /s??s/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /so(?)?s/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /so?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s
• Homophone: sauce (non-rhotic accents with the horse–hoarse merger)

Noun

source (plural sources)

1. The person, place, or thing from which something (information, goods, etc.) comes or is acquired.
2. Spring; fountainhead; wellhead; any collection of water on or under the surface of the ground in which a stream originates.
3. A reporter's informant.
4. (computing) Source code.
5. (electronics) The name of one terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).

Synonyms

• wellspring

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

• resource

Translations

See also

• target

Verb

source (third-person singular simple present sources, present participle sourcing, simple past and past participle sourced)

1. (chiefly US) To obtain or procure: used especially of a business resource.
2. (transitive) To find information about (a quotation)'s source (from which it comes): to find a citation for.

Derived terms

• (mainly US): sourcing
• (mainly US): insourcing
• (mainly US): outsourcing

Translations

Further reading

• source in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• source in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• 'course, Couser, Crouse, Crusoe, cerous, coures, course, crouse

French

Etymology

From Old French sorse (“rise, beginning, spring, source”), from sors, past participle of sordre, sourdre, from Latin surgere (“to rise”). See surge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /su?s/

Noun

source f (plural sources)

1. source, spring (of water)

Derived terms

• code source
• couler de source
• eau de source
• langue source

Descendants

• ? Romanian: surs?

Verb

source

1. inflection of sourcer:
   1. first-person singular/third-person singular present indicative/present subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “source” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• coeurs, cœurs
• coures
• course, coursé
• écrous

English

Etymology

See mean (“method or course of action used to achieve some result”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi?nz/
• Rhymes: -i?nz

Noun

means

1. plural of mean

means (plural means)

1. An instrument or condition for attaining a purpose.

   A car is a means of transport.

means pl (plural only) (uncountable)

1. Resources; riches.

   He was living beyond his means.

Usage notes

Frequently contrasted with end (“goal”), as in “a means to an end”. Similar contrast is process vs. product.

Synonyms

• wherewithal

Translations

Verb

means

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of mean

Anagrams

• Mensa, Seman, amens, manes, manse, mensa, mesna, names, namés, neams, ñames

Latin

Etymology

Present active participle of me? (“go along, traverse”)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?me.ans/, [?meä??s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?me.ans/, [?m???ns]

Participle

me?ns (genitive meantis); third-declension one-termination participle

1. going along, passing, traversing

Declension

Third-declension participle.

¹When used purely as an adjective.