creek

n.

a small river, a brook, a branch ofa river. «An application of the word entirely unknown in GreatBritain.» (`O.E.D.') The `Standard Dictionary' gives, as a usein the United States, «a tidal or valley stream, between abrook and a river in size.» In Australia, the name brook isnot used. Often pronounced crick, as in the United States.

Dr. J. A.H. Murray kindly sends the following note: – – «Creekgoes back to the early days of exploration. Men sailing up theMississippi or other navigable river saw the mouths oftributary streams, but could not tell with out investigationwhether they were confluences or mere inlets, creeks. Theycalled them creeks, but many of them turned out to be runningstreams, many miles long – – tributary rivers or rivulets. Thename creek stuck to them, however, and thus becamesynonymous with tributary stream, brook.»

1793. Governor Hunter, `Voyage,' p. 516:

«In the afternoon a creek obliged them to leave the banks ofthe river, and go round its head, as it was too deep to cross:having rounded the head of this creek. . .»

1802. G. Barrington, `History of New South Wales,' p. 228:

«They met with some narrow rivers or creeks.»

1809. Aug. 6, `History of New South Wales' (1818), p. 327:

«Through Rickerby's grounds upon the riverside and those of the Rev. Mr. Marsden on the creek.»

1826. Goldie, in Bischoff's `Van Diemen's Land' (1832), p. 162:

«There is a very small creek which I understand is never dry.»

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 17:

«The creeks and rivers of Australia have in general atransitory existence, now swollen by the casual shower, andagain rapidly subsiding under the general dryness and heat ofthe climate.»

1854. `Bendigo Advertiser,' quoted in `Melbourne MorningHerald,' May 29:

«A Londoner reading of the crossing of a creek would naturallyimagine the scene to be in the immediate neighbourhood of thecoast, instead of being perhaps some hundreds of miles in theinterior, and would dream of salt water, perriwinkles andsea-weed, when he should be thinking of slimy mud-holes, blacksnakes and gigantic gum-trees.»

1861. Mrs. Meredith, `Over the Straits,' c. iv. p. 134:

«The little rivulet, called, with that singular pertinacity forerror which I have so often noticed here, `the creek.'»

1865. Lady Barker, `Station Life in, New Zealand,' p. 29:

«The creek, just like a Scotch burn, hurrying and tumbling downthe hillside to join the broader stream in the valley.»

1870. P. Wentworth, `Amos Thorne,' i. p. 11:

«A thirsty creek-bed marked a line of green.»

1872. C. H. Eden, `My Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 39:

«In the rivers, whether large watercourses, and dignified bythe name of `river,' or small tributaries called by the lesssounding appellation `creeks.»

1887. Cassell's `Picturesque Australasia,' vol. i. p. 41:

«Generally where the English language is spoken a creek means asmall inlet of the sea, but in Australia a creek is literallywhat it is etymologically, a crack in the ground. In dryweather there is very little water; perhaps in the height ofsummer the stream altogether ceases to run, and the creekbecomes a string of waterholes; but when the heavens areopened, and the rain falls, it reappears a river.»