Fond

In the culinary arts, fond is a contraction of "fonds de cuisine" which is loosely described as "the foundation and working capital of the kitchen". It refers to a flavorful liquid that is used as foundation ("fondation" in French, hence the abbreviation "fond") for other preparations, such as stocks, broths, gravies and sauces.
In popular usage, the word "fond" is often conveniently used to refer to the stock made from a fond. It is also sometime used colloquially to refer to the solid bits of food found stuck to a pan after something was cooked; more technically, these bits are deglazed with a liquid in order to produce a fond.