creek

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A small natural stream of water, smaller than a river.

   The children waded across the shallow creek to reach the other bank.

2. 2
   noun

   A narrow inlet of water, often saltwater, running in from the sea or up an estuary.

   At high tide, small boats can sail right up the creek to the village.

From Middle English crike, probably from Old Norse kriki, from Proto-Germanic *krikjô, variant of krekô, from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, to wind”); the modern form creek (already late Middle English creke) either reflects open-syllable lengthening of Middle English /i/ or reborrowing from Middle Dutch krēke., Compare typologically English bight, akin to bend, bow. See also Old Dutch creka, crika (“inlet, cove, creek”), Medieval Latin creca, crica, kríkr (“angle, corner, nook, bay”), Old Norse kraki (“pole with a hook, anchor”), and possibly Old Norse krókr (“hook, bend, bight”). Mode…

Topics