brook

CEFRC1

/bɹʊk/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small natural stream.

  2. 02

    verb

    To accept or tolerate something, usually in a negative phrase.

Examples

  • His pride would not brook such insults.

  • She watched the children playing in the brook.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /bɹuːk/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To earn; deserve.

  2. To enjoy the use of; make use of; profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, or hold.

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To bear; endure; support; put up with; tolerate.

More examples

In context

  • We can hear a brook murmuring.

  • I will brook no impertinence.

  • I will not brook any disobedience.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

A small blank of fresh water flows through the meadow.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English brouken (“to use, enjoy”), from Old English brūcan (“to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend”), from Proto-West Germanic *brūkan, from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to enjoy, use”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHg- (“to enjoy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian bruke (“to need”), Dutch bruiken (“to use”), German Low German bruken (“to need”), German brauchen (“to need”), Swedish bruka (“to use”), Icelandic brúka (“to use”).