noun
brook
bruuk
noun
1
A small, natural stream of water.
"They waded across the shallow brook on their hike."
verb
1
To tolerate or put up with, especially something unwelcome (usually used in the negative).
"The coach would not brook any excuses for missing practice."
How to Use Brook
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a small stream, or, as a verb, to tolerate something (almost always used with "no," as in "brook no delay").
Common mistake
The verb sense is almost always negative — "will not brook" — and rarely appears in ordinary positive statements.
Common pairings
babbling brook
brook no argument
brook no delay
Word Forms
brooked past tense, brooks plural, brooks singular
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They waded across the shallow _____ on their hike.
Etymology
The "stream" sense comes from Old English broc; the verb sense ("to endure") comes separately from Old English brūcan, meaning "to use" or "enjoy" — the same root that gives us "broker."