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Brooks

[broo ks]
noun
  1. Gwendolyn,1917–2000, U.S. poet and novelist.
  2. Phillips,1835–93, U.S. Protestant Episcopal bishop and pulpit orator.
  3. Van Wyck [van wahyk] /væn ˈwaɪk/, 1886–1963, U.S. author and critic.
  4. a male given name.

brook

1
[broo k]
noun
  1. a small, natural stream of fresh water.

Origin of brook

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English brōc stream; cognate with Dutch broek, German Bruch marsh
Related formsbrook·less, adjectivebrook·like, adjective
Can be confusedbrook creek river stream

brook

2
[brook]
verb (used with object)
  1. to bear; suffer; tolerate: I will brook no interference.

Origin of brook

2
before 900; Middle English brouken, Old English brūcan; cognate with Dutch bruiken, German brauchen; akin to Gothic brukjan, Latin fruī to enjoy
Related formsbrook·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms for brook

take, stand, endure, abide, stomach.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for brooks

countenance, tolerate, rill, run, creek, burn, rivulet, watercourse, branch, river, beck, runnel, streamlet, withstand, stomach, support, abide, bear, allow, go

Examples from the Web for brooks

Contemporary Examples of brooks

Historical Examples of brooks

  • "This country ought to be full of brooks and creeks," he said to Pennington.

    The Rock of Chickamauga

    Joseph A. Altsheler

  • What drinks from the brooks and wells, and from the stones on the bank?

    Classic Myths

    Mary Catherine Judd

  • There were no rushes to make water-wheels of, and no brooks to set them turning in.

    Wilfrid Cumbermede

    George MacDonald

  • It receives some brooks, and abounds in excellent fish, and in alligators.

    The History of Louisiana

    Le Page Du Pratz

  • That day they travelled ten leagues, crossed one river and two brooks.

    The History of Louisiana

    Le Page Du Pratz

British Dictionary definitions for brooks

Brooks

noun
  1. Geraldine . born 1955, Australian writer. Her novels include March (2005), which won the Pulitzer prize
  2. Mel, real name Melvyn Kaminsky . born 1926, US comedy writer, actor, and film director. His films include The Producers (1968), Blazing Saddles (1974), High Anxiety (1977), and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1996)
  3. (Troyal) Garth. born 1962, US country singer and songwriter; his bestselling records include Ropin' the Wind (1991) and Scarecrow (2001)

brook

1
noun
  1. a natural freshwater stream smaller than a river

Word Origin for brook

Old English brōc; related to Old High German bruoh swamp, Dutch broek

brook

2
verb
  1. (tr; usually used with a negative) to bear; tolerate
Derived Formsbrookable, adjective

Word Origin for brook

Old English brūcan; related to Gothic brūkjan to use, Old High German brūhhan, Latin fruī to enjoy

Brook

noun
  1. Peter (Paul Stephen). born 1925, British stage and film director, noted esp for his experimental work in the theatre
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for brooks

brook

n.

"small stream," Old English broc "flowing stream, torrest," of obscure origin, probably from Proto-Germanic *broka- which yielded words in German (Bruch) and Dutch (broek) that have a sense of "marsh." In Sussex and Kent, it means "water-meadow," and in plural, "low, marshy ground."

brook

v.

"to endure," Old English brucan "use, enjoy, possess; eat; cohabit with," from Proto-Germanic *bruk- "to make use of, enjoy" (cf. Old Saxon brukan, Old Frisian bruka, Old High German bruhhan, German brauchen "to use," Gothic brukjan), from PIE root *bhrug- "to make use of, have enjoyment of" (cf. Latin fructus). Sense of "use" applied to food led to "be able to digest," and by 16c. to "tolerate."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper