En

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.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

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 .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

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

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).