Brook

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bɹʊk/

Definitions

1. A small, natural flow of water smaller than a river ; to allow or accept something without protest or resistance
2. A minor stream often found in rural areas or gardens ; to patiently put up with or endure a situation
3. A narrow channel of running water, usually a freshwater source ; to bear or endure something unpleasant or difficult

Etymology: The noun "brook" for a small stream is a different word from the verb, and the two were once entirely separate. The stream sense comes from Old English "brōc", meaning brook, stream or even torrent, which goes back to a Proto-West Germanic root "*brōk" meaning stream. It is an old native word, not a borrowing, and it is closely tied to the English landscape of small waterways. The verb is an unrelated word. In Middle English "brouken" meant "to use, enjoy", descending from Old English "brūcan", which meant to enjoy, use, possess or partake of. That sense survives in the phrase "brook no interference", meaning to tolerate or put up with something, and the verb's reach toward "use" and "need" is shared with cousins such as German "brauchen" (to need) and Swedish "bruka" (to use). Because the two words look identical today, the noun and verb are easy to confuse, but their paths only converged in spelling. The verb's root reaches back to a Proto-Indo-European base meaning to enjoy, while the noun's ancestry is simply a word for running water.

Synonyms: stream, creek, rivulet, watercourse, tributary