creek

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creek

a small stream: A creek runs through the property.

Not to be confused with:

creak – a squeaking or grating sound: The floorboards creak.

Creek

(krēk)

n. pl. Creek or Creeks

a. A member of a Native American people formerly inhabiting eastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and northwest Florida and now located in central Oklahoma and southern Alabama. The Creek were removed to Indian Territory in the 1830s.

b. The Muskogean language of the Creek.

a. A Native American confederacy made up of the Creek and various smaller southeast tribes.

b. A member of this confederacy. In all senses also called Muskogee¹.

[From the picturesque creeks near which they lived.]

creek

(krēk, krĭk)

1. A small stream, often a shallow or intermittent tributary to a river. Also called regionally branch, brook¹, kill², run.

2. A channel or stream running through a salt marsh: tidal creeks teeming with shore wildlife.

3. Chiefly British A small inlet in a shoreline, extending farther inland than a cove.

Idiom:

up the creek (without a paddle) Informal

In a difficult, unfortunate, or inextricable position.

[Middle English creke, probably from Old Norse kriki, bend.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

creek

(kriːk)

1. (Physical Geography) chiefly Brit a narrow inlet or bay, esp of the sea

2. (Physical Geography) US and Canadian and Austral and NZ a small stream or tributary

3. up the creek slang in trouble; in a difficult position

[C13: from Old Norse kriki nook; related to Middle Dutch krēke creek, inlet]

Creek

(kriːk)

npl Creek or Creeks

1. (Peoples) a member of a confederacy of Native American peoples formerly living in Georgia and Alabama, now chiefly in Oklahoma

2. (Languages) any of the languages of these peoples, belonging to the Muskhogean family

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

creek

(krik, krɪk)

n.

1. a stream smaller than a river.

2. a stream or channel in a coastal marsh.

3. a recess or inlet in the shore of the sea.

4. an estuary.

Idioms:

up the creek, Slang. in a difficult or seemingly hopeless situation.

[1200–50; Middle English creke, variant of crike < Old Norse kriki bend, crook]

Creek

(krik)

n., pl. Creeks, (esp. collectively) Creek.

1. a member of a loose confederacy of American Indian peoples that in the 18th century occupied the greater part of Georgia and Alabama: forcibly removed to the Indian Territory in 1834–37.

2. Muskogee (def. 1a).

3. the Muskogean language spoken by the Muskogee.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	creek - a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river); "the creek dried up every summer" brook brooklet - a small brook stream, watercourse - a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
	2.	Creek - any member of the Creek Confederacy (especially the Muskogee) formerly living in Georgia and Alabama but now chiefly in Oklahoma American Indian, Indian, Red Indian - a member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived

creek

noun

1. inlet, bay, cove, bight, firth or frith (Scot.) The offshore fishermen took shelter from the storm in a creek.

2. (U.S., Canad., Austral., & N.Z.) stream, brook, tributary, bayou, rivulet, watercourse, streamlet, runnel Follow Austin Creek for a few miles.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

creek

noun

A small stream:

brook.

Chiefly Regional: branch, kill, run.

Translations

جَدولخَليج صغير

potokzátoka

bækbiflodbugtindskæringvandløb

Bach Bucht Flüsschen

arroyo rivera

poukamapuro

ruisseau anse baie

kis öböl

lækurvík, vogur

cala ruscello

upelis

līcisupīte

kreek

крик

çay dere haliç koy

小河小湾小溪

creek

[kriːk] N (Brit) (= inlet) → cala f, ensenada f (US) (= stream) → riachuelo m
up the creek (without a paddle) (= in difficulties) → en un lío or (LAm) aprieto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

creek

[ˈkriːk] n

(= inlet) → bras m de mer

(US) (= stream) → ruisseau m, petit cours m d'eau
to be up the creek → être mal barré
to be up shit creek, to be up shit creek without a paddle → être dans la merde jusqu'au cou

creek

n (esp Brit: = inlet) → (kleine) Bucht; (US: = brook) → Bach m; to be up the creek (without a paddle) (inf: = be in trouble) → in der Tinte sitzen (inf); (= be completely wrong) → auf dem falschen Dampfer sein (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

creek

[kriːk] n (inlet) → insenatura (Am) → piccolo fiume m

creek

(kriːk) noun

1. a small inlet, especially off a river.

2. (American) a small river.

References in classic literature ?

For a part of the distance between Auburn and Newcastle the road-- first on one side of a creek and then on the other--occupies the whole bottom of the ravine, being partly cut out of the steep hillside, and partly built up with bowlders removed from the creek- bed by the miners.

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That spring, Jesse had bought part of a long strip of black swamp land that lay in the valley of Wine Creek. He got the land at a low price but had spent a large sum of money to improve it.

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They have reached the Owl Creek bridge, put it in order and built a stockade on the north bank.

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From this point it described a long curve, descending towards Bitter Creek Valley, to rise again to the dividing ridge of the waters between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

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To the south of where the road between Leesville and Hardy, in the State of Missouri, crosses the east fork of May Creek stands an abandoned house.

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If the wind doesn't fail us, we'll make the creek before the tide gets too low, sleep at San Rafael, and arrive in Oakland to-morrow by midday."

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After a little, my way was stopped by a creek or inlet of the sea, which seemed to run pretty deep into the land; and as I had no means to get across, I must needs change my direction to go about the end of it.

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The sand flew up in a blinding storm, the whole of the creek was suddenly a raging torrent.

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The miners were in from Moseyed Creek and the other diggings to the west, the summer washing had been good, and the men's pouches were heavy with dust and nuggets.

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The packers had wanted a bridge at Ashland Avenue, but they had not been able to get it till they had seen Scully; and it was the same with "Bubbly Creek," which the city had threatened to make the packers cover over, till Scully had come to their aid.

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They's a sharp slope through the redwoods to the creek. Come on, I'll show you."

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In less than a week Old Tarwater was up and limping about the housework of the cabin, cooking and dish-washing for the five men of the creek. Genuine sourdoughs (pioneers) they were, tough and hard-bitten, who had been buried so deeply inside the Circle that they did not know there was a Klondike Strike.