Font
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Fount
A complete set of type of the same body and face, with all the points, accents, figures, fractions, signs, etc., that ordinarily occur in printed books and papers. A complete fount (which, of course, includes italics) comprises 275 separate pieces of type, not including the special characters needed in almanacs, astronomical and medical works, etc. The word is French, fonfe, fiomfondre (to melt or cast). Cp. TYPE; LETTER.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Font” mean?
A complete set of type of the same body and face, with all the points, accents, figures, fractions, signs, etc., that ordinarily occur in printed books and papers. A complete fount (which, of course, includes italics) comprises 275 separate pieces of type, not including the special characters needed in almanacs, astronomical and medical works, etc. The word is French, fonfe, fiomfondre (to melt or cast). Cp. TYPE; LETTER.
Is “Font” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.