source
/sɔːs/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɔrs] /sɔːrs/ (ame, ipa) · [sˈɔrs] /ˈsȯrs/ (ame, mw)
source — noun
- sourcesingular
- sourcesplural
1. the starting point of something — for instance, where a river first rises, what
the starting point of something — for instance, where a river first rises, what causes a problem, or who provides money or materials.
The Yangtze River has its source in the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau.
concrete: source of a river
Late nights at work were a constant source of stress for Layla.
abstract: source of [emotion/problem]
The charity has become the main source of funding for local after-school programmes.
Hyun traced the strange smell back to its source under the kitchen sink.
文法句型
the source of [something]
a source of [noun phrase]
用法筆記
The noun that follows 'source of' can be either positive (a source of joy, a source of inspiration) or negative (a source of trouble, a source of conflict).
常見錯誤
2. a person, document, website, or organization that gives you facts, news, or data
a person, document, website, or organization that gives you facts, news, or data that you can use or refer to.
According to a reliable source inside the company, layoffs are expected next month.
collocation: reliable source
Reema listed all her sources at the end of her research paper.
academic: list one's sources
The library's online database is an excellent source of scientific articles.
Nellie asked the police to protect the identity of her informant source.
文法句型
[adjective] source
source of [information/news/data]
from a reliable source
用法筆記
Common adjectives with this sense: 'reliable', 'anonymous', 'unidentified', 'trusted', 'primary'. In journalism, 'sources' often refers to people who give information on condition of anonymity.
常見錯誤
3. at the original place or point where something starts, before it spreads, moves,
at the original place or point where something starts, before it spreads, moves, or changes — used in the fixed phrase 'at source'.
To prevent food poisoning, officials aim to stop contamination at source.
fixed phrase: at source
The government deducts income tax at source, before workers receive their pay.
Bao stopped the water leak at source by replacing the cracked pipe in the basement.
Environmental groups want pollution dealt with at source rather than cleaned up downstream.
- downstream
later in a process, after something has already spread or been changed
文法句型
at source
用法筆記
This sense nearly always appears in the fixed phrase 'at source'. Unlike sense 1, you cannot say 'the source' here — 'at source' functions as an adverbial unit meaning 'before it spreads or is processed'.
常見錯誤
source — verb
- sourcepresent simple I / you / we / they
- sources3rd person singular
- sourcing-ing form
- sourcedpast simple
1. to obtain goods, materials, or services from a particular person, business, or c
to obtain goods, materials, or services from a particular person, business, or country, especially as part of a planned supply process.
The bakery sources its flour from local farms in the region.
source [product] from [supplier]
All the coffee served here is sourced directly from small growers in Colombia.
passive: be sourced from [place]
Élise tries to source all her clothes from second-hand shops rather than fast-fashion brands.
The company sources rare minerals from mines in southern Chile.
文法句型
source [something] from [somewhere]
be sourced from [somewhere]
用法筆記
Common in business, manufacturing, and supply-chain contexts. Frequently appears in the passive structure 'be sourced from [place/supplier]'. Less common in everyday conversation — people are more likely to say 'buy' or 'get'.
常見錯誤
2. to state where a piece of information, a quotation, an image, or a statistic ori
to state where a piece of information, a quotation, an image, or a statistic originally came from, especially in academic or professional work.
Theo's essay lost marks because he did not source his quotations properly.
academic: source one's quotations
Every statistic in the report is sourced from official government data.
passive: be sourced from [authority]
The historian carefully sourced each claim in her book with a footnote.
Yasmin asked her students to source all images they used in their presentations.
文法句型
source [something] from [someone/something]
be sourced from [someone/something]
用法筆記
The object is usually information itself (quotations, statistics, claims) rather than physical goods. In academic contexts, this sense overlaps with 'cite' but 'source' places more emphasis on locating where the information came from.