Meanings
wells1
- pluralplural of well
The town's water supply consisted of three wells, but a new one was being dug to meet demand from the new development.
- indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of well
Every time she sees her little grandson, her face wells with joy.
Wells2
alternative Wels
- An English topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a well or a spring.
- A male given name transferred from the surname.
- A small cathedral city and civil parish with a city council in Somerset, England, previously in Mendip district (OS grid ref ST5445).
- A small town in Norfolk, England; in full, Wells-next-the-Sea.
- A town in the Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia, Canada.
- A locale in the United States:
- An unincorporated community in Pipe Creek Township, Miami County, Indiana; named for founder James Oscar Wells.
- A town in York County, Maine; named for the city in England.
- A city in Faribault County, Minnesota; named for J. W. Wells, father-in-law of Canadian-American Minnesota politician Clark W. Thompson.
- A city in Elko County, Nevada.
- A town and census-designated place therein, in Hamilton County, New York; named for land agent Joshua Wells.
- A town in Cherokee County, Texas; named for railroad engineer Maj. E. H. Wells.
- A town and census-designated place therein, in Rutland County, Vermont.
- A town in Monroe County, Wisconsin; named for early settler James Wells.
Origin
- Old Englishwella
- EnglishWells
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.
More words from Old English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with wells
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
wells. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wells
“wells.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wells. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wells,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wells.
Source: wells on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.