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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.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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