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creek

noun
SayKREEK/kɹik/UK/kɹiːk/

Pluralcreeks

3 meanings of creek

Practice

  1. 1
    small streamnounAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandUScountable
    A stream of water, usually fresh and smaller than a river. In Australia, it can be as big as a river.

    We walked along the creek and looked for frogs under the rocks.

    The creek on my uncle's farm in Queensland is as wide as a river all year round.

    Similarstream, brook

    Note
  2. 2
    nounBritishcountable
    A narrow stretch of water that runs into the land from the sea or a river, sometimes used for keeping small boats.

    When the tide comes in, the creek fills with sea water.

    We walked along the sea wall and watched birds feeding in the muddy creeks.

    Similarinlet

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 3
    nounobsolete
    Any bend or twist.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English creke, a word for a small inlet of the sea, possibly from an old Germanic word meaning "corner" or "bend". Settlers in America and Australia later used it for any small stream.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

  • Creek comes from Middle English creke, which referred to an inlet of the sea. dbnl.org
  • A possible Germanic ancestry involves a word meaning corner or bend. en.wiktionary.org
  • Settlers in America and Australia subsequently used creek for small streams. mail.gutenberg.net.au