brook
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small, natural stream of water.
n.a small, natural stream of fresh water, typically smaller than a river.
Simple“The children spent the afternoon splashing in the shallow brook behind the house.”
In context“A narrow brook meandered through the valley, its clear water bubbling over smooth stones and fallen branches.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to allow or tolerate something, especially something you do not like.
v.to tolerate, allow, or endure; almost exclusively used in negative contexts or with words like 'no'.
Simple“The strict teacher would brook no talking during the final exam.”
In context“The CEO made it clear that he would brook no dissent regarding the merger, expecting total loyalty from his executive team.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and almost always appears in the negative, such as 'will brook no...'.
Teacher's tipThis is a high-level literary or formal word. Students should recognize it in phrases like 'he would brook no interference' rather than trying to use it in casual speech.
* As an English surname, from the noun brook. * As a north German surname, from Low German Brook (“swamp, marsh”), related to the above. * As a Dutch surname, Americanized from Broek, from broek, also related to the above. * As a Jewish and German surname, Americanized from Bruck, Bruch (from Bruch (“wetland, marsh”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.