[Vocabulary] BROOK VS STREAM

[hitinvo]

Is the brook larger than stream?

 

[bhaisahab]

Is a brook larger than a stream?

No, not necessarily.

 

[Rover_KE]

Think of them as being two words meaning the same thing.

Rover

 

[Ouisch]

Ask a geologist and he or she will tell you:

Stream - any body of moving water that moves under gravity to progressively lower levels, in a relatively narrow but clearly defined channel on the surface of the ground.

Brook - a small stream or rivulet, commonly swiftly flowing in rugged terrain, of lesser length and volume than a creek. A term used in England and New England for any tributary to a small river or to a larger stream.

But for us less technically-inclined folks, it is usually presumed that a "stream" has a strong current in a particular direction, while a "brook" is a smaller, narrower, "softer" version of a stream (if there is a current, it is not very strong, hence the term "babbling brook"). :-D

 

[SoothingDave]

And what about "creek"?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes - 'creek' is common in AE, Dave, though much less so in BE.

With respect to Ouisch, I would still recommend to the OP that brook. stream, and creek are virtually synonymous for all practical purposes.

Rover

 

[SoothingDave]

We do tend to use "creek" here. Weathermen often warn about flooding of "creeks and streams," but I never hear them say "brook."

"Brook" almost seems more like a poetic word.