headspring

noun

1. A fountainhead; a source.

   “Now you can follow the current downstream from the headspring to the Silver River's confluence with the Ocklawaha, rather than beating your way upstream from the Ocklawaha all the way to the headspring.”

2. (figuratively)A basis or foundation.

   “Much less can we afford to follow them into the fantastic combination in which they have been sometimes represented as constituting a sort of barbarian headspring to the liberty of civilized men ; to whom politic society is thought to be a means of preserving, in part only, a freedom enjoyed by savages in much larger measure, nay in perfect plenitude.”

   “The cradle of new conceptual enterprises and entrepreneurs Soft technology is the headspring for brand new ideas, the growth point for new industries and for new conceptual enterprises.”

   “If we can say that management philosophy provides is the headspring to tempt people, we can also say that business model would be the sacrifice to motivate people to act.”

3. A move in which the gymnast places both hands on the mat with the top of the head about 6 inches in front, pushes off with the hands while flipping the legs overhead, and lands on the feet.

   “The technique in continuous headsprings is rather different from that employed in performing a single headspring in that the head and hands are closer together, thus reducing resistance to forward rotation and enabling fast acceleration to take place.”

   “The headspring is a unique vault because it calls for a bent arm support and the touching of the horse with one's head.”

   “The evidence established that he was negligent in spotting the headspring Steven was attempting to perform.”

4. A spring that sits at the top of a mechanism, pushing the internal parts inward.

   “Remove the four screws from bottom of tube, then headspring and bottom assembly can be removed through bottom of tube.”

verb

1. To perform a headspring.

   “From there I would walk on my head to the far end of the box and then headspring to the floor, landing on my feet.”