brook

¹ American  

[brook] / brʊk /

noun

1. a small, natural stream of fresh water.

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brook ² American  

[brook] / brʊk /

verb (used with object)

1. to bear; suffer; tolerate.

   I will brook no interference.

   Synonyms:

   stomach , abide , endure , stand , take

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Brook ¹ British  

/ brʊk /

noun

1. Peter ( Paul Stephen ). born 1925, British stage and film director, noted esp for his experimental work in the theatre

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brook ² British  

/ brʊk /

noun

1. a natural freshwater stream smaller than a river

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brook ³ British  

/ brʊk /

verb

1. (tr; usually used with a negative) to bear; tolerate

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Other Word Forms

• brookable adjective
• brookless adjective
• brooklike adjective

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

Example Sentences

But because she’s telling the worst men what they want to hear, Stuckey has created space for herself to live out the usually male role of being the pompous bully who will brook no dissent.

From Salon

People kept stopping to talk to him, although they mostly made small murmuring noises, like the fake brook that runs through a suburban shopping center.

From Salon

Mr Lister told Radio Wales Breakfast he often visited the brook as it is a good spot for photographing wildlife in the area.

From BBC

Her partner, Art Linfoot, built the house they lost, a cabin with a wraparound porch and a year-round brook where deer drank and the sound of the water lulled the couple to sleep.

From Los Angeles Times

In November a wall collapsed in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire after water in a local brook rose, flooding the town centre.

From BBC

Related Words

• countenance
• tolerate