brook
noun
a small, natural stream of fresh water.
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brook
1 American
[brook]
/ brʊk /
noun
brook
2
American
[brook]
/ brʊk /
verb (used with object)
Brook
1
British
/ brʊk /
noun
brook
2
British
/ brʊk /
noun
brook
3
British
/ brʊk /
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brook1
before 900; Middle English; Old English brōc stream; cognate with Dutch broek, German Bruch marsh
Origin of brook2
before 900; Middle English brouken, Old English brūcan; cognate with Dutch bruiken, German brauchen; akin to Gothic brukjan, Latin fruī to enjoy
Explanation
A brook is a small stream. On a hot day, you might enjoy wading in a babbling brook. As a verb, brook is a rather stuffy word for "put up with." The lord of the manor might say, "I will brook no trespassing on my land." Brook is tailor-made for talking about what you won't stand for — it's always "brook no..." If you brook no criticism of your friend, it means you won't let people speak ill of her. If you brook no brooks, it means you've developed a bizarre hatred of streams and will spend the rest of your days trying to avoid them.
Vocabulary lists containing brook
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The costs are wildly different: average annual cost on the College Scorecard is $3,967 at Cal State Los Angeles, $18,784 at Stony Brook and $25,239 at St. Michael’s.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Crutchley Farms Partnership, based near Bridport, gave £7,500 to the Dorset Wildlife Trust for a trees and wetland project after pollution in Mangerton Brook was traced back to it in 2023.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
The Puma, who is 10-1 on the morning line, is a son of Eve of War, a mare Kahn owns with Hidden Brook Farm in Paris, Ky.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
But Sergio de Sousa, managing partner at Hidden Brook, suggested Essential Quality, a champion colt at 2 and 3 at the start of this decade.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
This means they want me to tell Mrs. Brook what happened.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
