From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Brook \Brook\, n. [OE. brok, broke, brook, AS. br[=o]c; akin to
D. broek, LG. br[=o]k, marshy ground, OHG. pruoh, G. bruch
marsh; prob. fr. the root of E. break, so as that it
signifies water breaking through the earth, a spring or
brook, as well as a marsh. See Break, v. t.]
A natural stream of water smaller than a river or creek.
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The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land
of brooks of water. --Deut. viii.
7.
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Empires itself, as doth an inland brook
Into the main of waters. --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Brook \Brook\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brooked; p. pr. & vb. n.
Brooking.] [OE. broken, bruken, to use, enjoy, digest, AS.
br?can; akin to D. gebruiken to use, OHG. pr?hhan, G.
brauchen, gebrauchen, Icel. br?ka, Goth. br?kjan, and L.
frui, to enjoy. Cf. Fruit, Broker.]
1. To use; to enjoy. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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2. To bear; to endure; to put up with; to tolerate; as, young
men can not brook restraint. --Spenser.
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Shall we, who could not brook one lord,
Crouch to the wicked ten? --Macaulay.
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3. To deserve; to earn. [Obs.] --Sir J. Hawkins.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
brook
n 1: a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a
tributary of a river); "the creek dried up every summer"
[syn: brook, creek]
v 1: put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot
bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to
endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to
tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable
marriage" [syn: digest, endure, stick out, stomach,
bear, stand, tolerate, support, brook, abide,
suffer, put up]