En

Smith's Bible Dictionary

En. At the beginning of many Hebrew words, signifies a spring or fountain.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A fountain compounded with many names of towns and places; as En- dor, En-gedi, En-eglaim, En-shemesh, that is, the fountain of Dor, etc.

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) Half an em, that is, half of the unit of space in measuring printed matter. See Em.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(עין , ‛ayı̄n (compare Arabic ‛Ain )): The Hebrew word for "spring" or "fountain" ( Genesis 16:7;  Numbers 33:9;  Nehemiah 2:14;  Proverbs 8:28 (feminine plural)). It occurs in numerous compound words, as En-Gedi , En-Haddah , En-Hakkore , En-Hazor , En-Rimmon , En-Rogel , En-Shemesh (which see). In the same way the word ‛Ain is a very common component of Arabic names of places throughout Palestine and Syria at the present day. Places with names compounded with "En-" were almost certainly located near a spring. See Fountain; Well .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrews Eyn-, עֵין , constr. of עִין, a fountain ), a prefix to many names of places in Hebrews (e.g. En-gedi, En-gammin, En-dor, En-haddah, En- hazor, En-harod, En-mishpah; En-eglaim, En-shemesh, En-rogel, Entannim [ Nehemiah 2:13], En-tappuah); all so called from a living spring in the vicinity; and corresponding to the Arabic prefix Ain- (Robinson, Researches, 3:225), in which language, as also in the Syriac and Ethiopic, it has the same signification; in two instances ( Joshua 21:16;  Numbers 34:11) it stands alone as the name of a place (q.d. "the spring"); also in the dual, Enam (See Enam) (q.v.), and plural Anim (See Anim) (q.v.), the latter likewise in the Aramaic form Enon (q.v.). (See Ain).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

En, properly Ain a word signifying 'fountain;' and hence entering into the composition of sundry local names.