wells
/wɛlz/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.25 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
An English topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a well or a spring.
name
A male given name transferred from the surname.
name
A small cathedral city and civil parish with a city council in Somerset, England, previously in Mendip district (OS grid ref ST5445).
name
A small town in Norfolk, England; in full, Wells-next-the-Sea.
name
A locale in the United States:
Example Sentences
- "The town's water supply consisted of three wells, but a new one was being dug to meet demand from the new development."
- "Every time she sees her little grandson, her face wells with joy."
Etymology
From Old English wella, genitive plural of well (“spring”), in reference to a residence near a group of springs. The original use of the genitive case here would've indicated origin. The -s ending of the modern form would be added later on upon reanalysis after the breakdown of the case system (outside of pronouns) that occurred in the development of English.
Origin
- Source language: Old English
Word Breakdown
- Root: wella