brooks

1. 1
   streamsnoun

   Plural of brook.

   Several brooks feed the lake from the surrounding hills.

   The trail crosses three brooks before it climbs to the summit.

   Note

   The plural is regular, made by simply adding -s, and it counts small streams the way rivers counts larger ones: three brooks cross the trail. The same spelling is also the verb meaning "puts up with", so a sentence like she brooks no argument has nothing to do with water; with a capital B, Brooks is a surname and a place name as well.

2. 2
   put up withverb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of brook.

   The new editor brooks no argument once a deadline has been set.

   He seldom brooks criticism of his plans, even from close friends.

   Note

   Because the verb lives mostly in negative statements, this form usually sits right before no: she brooks no argument, the schedule brooks no delay. With not, the -s moves to the helper verb and brook returns to its base form: he does not brook interference. An older meaning, to earn or deserve, is obsolete, so in modern prose brooks means tolerates.

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