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A complete assortment of printing type of one size, including a due proportion of all the letters in the alphabet, large and small, points, accents, and whatever else is necessary for printing with that variety of types; a fount.

A fountain; a spring; a source.

A basin or stone vessel in which water is contained for baptizing.

A complete assortment of printing type of one size, including a due proportion of all the letters in the alphabet, large and small, points, accents, and whatever else is necessary for printing with that variety of types; a fount.

A fountain; a spring; a source.

A basin or stone vessel in which water is contained for baptizing.

A vessel to hold the water used in baptizing; a complete assortment of one size and style of type.

The vessel used in churches as the repository of the baptismal water. When baptism by immersion was practiced the baptistery was furnished with a basin sufficiently capacious to admit of the administration of the rite according to the then prevailing form. When affusion took the place of immersion the size of the basin was diminished, and assumed the dimensions familiar to the tourist in most of the mediaeval churches in Great Britain and upon the Continent. The baptismal font consists of a basin or cup hollowed out of a solid block and supported upon a stem. It is usually of stone sometimes of lead, and sometimes of copper or bronze. In general, the font, in external form and character, followed the prevailing style of architecture and ornamentation. When not in use the font was covered. Originally, the covers were flat movable lids, but were after wards often very highly ornamented, and sometimes carried up to a very considerable height in the form of spires, and enriched with a variety of little buttresses, pinnacles, and other decorations. The baptismal font must not be confounded with the holy-water fount, which usually stands near the entrance of Roman Catholic churches, and from which persons entering sprinkle their forehead.

Vessel for water in baptising; complete assortment of types.

A receptacle for the water used in baptizing.

Print. A full assortment of type of a particular kind.

n. [Latin] A fountain; a spring;—in Episcopal churches a stone erection, usually of an octagonal form and highly decorated, for holding the baptismal water;—in Romish churches it is used also for holy water—piscina.

A stone vessel in which the water for holy baptism is contained in the church.