source

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a place, person or thing that you get sth from: renewable energy sources * Your local library will be a useful source of information. * What is their main source of income? * The tiny window was the only source of light. 2 [usuallypl.] a person, book or document that provides information, especially for study, a piece of written work or news: He refused to name his sources. * Government sources indicated yesterday that cuts may have to be made. * source material * Historians use a wide range of primary and secondary sources for their research. 3 a person or thing that causes sth, especially a problem: a source of pollution / violence * a source of anxiety / confusion 4 the place where a river or stream starts: the source of the Nile IDIOMS at source at the place or the point that sth comes from or begins from: Is your salary taxed at source (= by your employer)? * It is better to deal with such problems at source. verb [VN] [oftenpassive] ~ sth (from...) (business) to get sth from a particular place: We source all the meat sold in our stores from British farms. seealsoOUTSOURCE