Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small stream of water, often a tributary to a river: A natural watercourse that is typically smaller than a river. It may be seasonal, drying up at certain times of the year.
   • (Capitalized) A member of a Native American confederacy: Refers to a member of a group of peoples, especially the Muskogee, originally from the southeastern United States.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (small stream):

  • The children loved to play in the shallow creek behind their house.
  • After the heavy rains, the creek overflowed its banks.
  • We followed the creek through the woods until it joined a larger river.

• Noun (member of the confederacy):

  • The Creek were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the 19th century.
  • Creek traditions and language are being revitalized by the community.

Advanced Usage

• "Up the creek (without a paddle)": An idiom meaning to be in a difficult or hopeless situation, often due to a lack of resources or a plan.
  • If we lose this contract, our company will be up the creek.
  • I forgot my passport at home, so I'm really up the creek without a paddle.

Variants and Related Words

• Creekbed (n): The channel or bottom of a creek.
  • The hikers walked along the dry creekbed.
• Brook (n): A synonym for a small stream, often used interchangeably with "creek" in some regions.
• Stream (n): A general term for a flowing body of water, which can include creeks.

Synonyms

• Streamlet: A very small stream.
• Rivulet: A small stream.
• Tributary: A stream or river that flows into a larger one.

Related Phrases

• Creek side: The area alongside a creek.
  • They built a cabin on the creekside.

Noun

1. any member of the Creek Confederacy (especially the Muskogee) formerly living in Georgia and Alabama but now chiefly in Oklahoma
2. a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
   • the creek dried up every summer