Forms: α. 4 krike, 4–5 cryke, (kryk), 6–7 crike; β. 4–6 creke, (6 creake, crieque), 6–7 creeke, 7 creak, creick, 6– creek; γ. 6– crick. [Three types of this are found, viz. (1) crike, cryke (ī), usual in ME., (2) creke, rare in ME. (see sense 7), but common in the 16th c. (whence the current creek), and (3) crick, only since 16th c. The first corresponds to F. crique (14th c. in Littré); the second to earlier Du. krēke (Kilian), mod.Du. kreek creek, bay, and to med.(Anglo-)L. creca (sometimes crecca) creek. The form crick resembles Sw. dial. krik bend, nook, corner, creek, cove (Rietz), and Icel. kriki crack, nook (handarkriki armpit), but is prob. an Eng. shortening of crique, crike. In many parts of U.S. crick is the common pronunciation of creek in the sense ‘stream.’ The earlier history is not known, but the word (in French also) is generally supposed to be Germanic. In sense 4 the word appears to be related to crack; in 6 and 7 there appears to be association with CROOK.
A corresponding double form is seen in pike, peak, F. pic. It has been conjectured that the word is preserved in the OE. proper names Creacanford, Crecʓanford, Creʓanford, Crayford (in Kent), and Crecca-ʓelád, Cricʓelad, Flor. Criccelade, Cricklade (in Wilts); the former is impossible; in the latter crecca could not be the origin of either crike or creke, though some connection is possible, if there were any reason to suppose that the meaning suits.]
I. 1. A narrow recess or inlet in the coast-line of the sea, or the tidal estuary of a river; an armlet of the sea that runs inland in a comparatively narrow channel and offers facilities for harboring and unloading smaller ships.
(The first quot. may be of more general meaning.)
α. c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2047. In euerilc welle, in euerilc crike [printed trike] Men funden blod al witterlike.
c. 1300. Havelok, 708. Hise ship … He dede it tere, an ful wel pike, Þat it ne doutede sond ne krike.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 409. He knew … euery cryke in Britaigne and in Spayne.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 103. Cryke of watyr, scatera.
1542–3. Act 34–5 Hen. VIII., c. 9 § 1. Dwellers next vnto the streme of Seuerne, and vnto the crikes and pilles of ye same from Kingrod vpward toward the City and Towne of Gloucester.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 17. A channell, a bay, a rode,… a crike, a riuer.
β. 1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 1 § 1. The Frenchemen … knowe … every haven and Creke within the sayde Countie.
1571. Hanmer, Chron. Irel. (1633), 155. The ship was by foule weather driven into a creick.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers (1647), 38. Creek of the sea is an Inlet of sea cornered into the main Land, shooting with a narrow passage into some Angle of the Land, and therein stretching it self more then ordinary into the Land.
1694. Smith & Walford, Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 39. A Creek two miles long, which is dry at Low Water, and not more than thirty foot broad.
1839. Penny Cycl., XIII. 187/2. (Faversham) The creek or arm of the Swale on which the town stands is navigable for vessels of 150 tons.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 57. A long narrow saltwater creek, communicating with the sea at Portland Road.
γ. 1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., 64 a. Foysts placed in euery Baye or Kricke to set upon him.
b. A small port or harbor; an inlet within the limits of a haven or port. c. In the Customs administration of Great Britain, an inlet, etc., not of sufficient importance to be a separate Customs station, but included within the jurisdiction of another port station.
α. 1478. Botoner, Itin. (Nasmith, 1778), 125. Pertinentes ad havyn de Falmouth sunt 147 portus et crykes.
β. 1486. C’tess of Oxford, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 7. That such wetche … be used and hadde in the poorts, and creks.
1588. Act 1 Eliz., c. 11 § 1. Conveying … their Wares … out of Creekes and Places where no Customer ys resident.
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect. (1851), 298. He must cut out large docks and creeks into his text to unlode the foolish frigate of his unseasonable autorities.
1789. Ann. Reg., 133. A Creek in the language of the Customs, is a place included within the limits either of a head or member-port; as set out by the commissions of the Court of Exchequer; and at which officers competent to transact the coast business are stationed by order of the Board of Customs.
1863. P. Barry, Dockyard Econ., 211. Between the fourth and fifth slip there is a dock inlet or creek, which might at any time be enlarged into a dry dock or basin for ships of the largest class.
1876. Act 39 & 40 Vict., c. 36 § 11. Customs Laws Consolidation. The pre-existing limits of any port, sub-port, haven, creek, or legal quay.
γ. 1628. Digby, Voy. Medit., 47. Besides the port is but a little cricke.
d. Applied to any similar opening on the shore of a lake.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xiv. Loch-Katrine … In all her length extended lay, With promontory, creek, and bay.
2. As part of a river or river-system.
a. An inlet or short arm of a river, such as runs up into the widened mouth of a ditch or small stream, or fills any short ravine or cutting that joins the river. (This is merely an occasional extension of sense 1.)
1577. [see 8].
1653. Walton, Angler, 147. A He and a She Pike will usually go together out of a River into some ditch or creek.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 25. On the bank of Jordan, by a creek, Where winds with reeds and osiers whispering play.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 151. The otter has two different methods of fishing; the one … by pursuing [its prey] into some little creek, and seizing it there.
1814. D. H. O’Brien, Captiv. & Escape, 109. On the banks of the Rhine … I … perceived a small Punt hauled into a creek.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, I. vi. 151. He knew every tributary, creek, and eyot.
b. In U.S. and British Colonies: A branch of a main river, a tributary river; a rivulet, brook, small stream, or run.
Probably the name was originally given by the explorers of a river to the various inlets or arms observed to run out of it, and of which only the mouths were seen in passing; when at a later period these ‘creeks’ were explored, they were often found to be tributaries of great length; but they retained the designation originally given, and ‘creek’ thus received an application entirely unknown in Great Britain.
1674. Pennsylv. Archives, I. 34. On the East-side of a Small Creeke or gutt on this side the Single-tree.
1748. F. Smith, Voy. Disc. N. W. Pass., I. 132. Called Ten Shilling Creek, but not properly, it being a Branch of the great River.
1748. Washington, Jrnl., 25 March. Left Cresaps and went up to ye mouth of Patersons Creek [a tributary of the Potomac].
1836. [Mrs. Traill], Backwoods of Canada, 64. Besides numerous small streams, here called creeks, two considerable rivers, the Otanabee and the Trent, find an outlet.
1879. A. R. Wallace, Australas., ii. 25–6. The drainage of the interior is effected by numerous creeks and watercourses which only run after periods of rain.
c. 1848. in H. Watterson, Oddities Southern Life & Char. (1883), 69. ‘You see that krick swamp?’ asked Suggs.
3. transf. senses akin to 1.
† a. Applied more widely and loosely to any narrow arm or corner of the sea. Obs.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. vi. 87. The Adriatic Sea in the inmost creeke neere Venice swels neere foure foote in hight.
1652. Needham, Selden’s Mare Cl., 333. Jersey, and Garnesey … situated within that Creek of Sea which is made by the shore of Bretaign on the one side, and that of Normandie on the other.
b. A narrow corner of land running out from the main area; a narrow plain or recess running in between mountains. Cf. COVE.
1649. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653), 56. Certain Creeks or corners of Land running into the up-lands.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric., xi. § 3 (1681), 233. To How the several Creeks, Corners, and Patches of your Land.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. (1858), 136. The plains which run into the mountains are the creeks into which they [the Bedouins] naturally penetrate.
II. † 4. A cleft in the face of a rock, etc.; a crack, fissure, chink, crevice, cranny. Obs.
α. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 602. Thai clam into the crykis swa, Quhill half the craggis thai clummyn had.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Blasius, 43. A kryk in to a crage he hade, & þare his dwellinge has he mad.
β, γ. 1570. Levins, Manip. 54. A creke, crick, fissura. Ibid., 120. A crick, rima.
1635. Brathwait, Arcad. Pr., 179. To wals and portels would he lay his eare, Through creeks, & cranies too, that he might hear … desir’d applause.
5. A narrow or winding passage penetrating the interior of any place and passing out of sight; an out-of-the-way corner. To seek creeks: to seek a hiding-place. Obs. or dial.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 108. Tom Piper hath houen and puffed vp cheekes, If cheese be so houen, make Cisse to seeke creekes.
1582. T. Watson, Centurie of Loue, xcv. (Arb.), 131. A Labyrinth is a place made full of turnings and creekes.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. ii. 38. One that countermands The passages of allies, creekes, and narrow lands.
1629. Chapman, Juvenal, v. 15. Is no Creeke void?
1681. Cotton, Wond. Peake, 52. The Cave … stretching itself … As if (past these blind Creeks) we now were come into the … Mountains Womb.
1750. Gray, Poems, Long Story, 62. Each hole and cupboard they explore, Each creek and cranny of his chamber.
1808–25. Jamieson, s.v. Crykes, ‘Creeks and corners’ is still a common phrase.
1878. Mrs. H. Wood, Pomeroy Ab. (ed. 3), 112. We … looked in every crick and corner for it.
1883. G. Allen, in Colin Clout’s Calendar, 65. To fill up all the cricks and corners between other plants.
b. fig. A nook, a hidden or secret corner.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 341. And so must sounde doctrine keepe all the faithfull … in their duetie and quiet concorde, without creake or creauise.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1296/1. Throughlie view the hidden and couered creeks of our minds!
1614. J. Day, Day’s Festivals (1615), 261. There is not a creeke or crany in the World, but seemes to bee fraught with it.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 91. The crooked creekes Within my heart.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 249. Jesuitical Creeks and Corners of Superstitious Romanism.
† c. Applied to the two cavities of the heart.
1621–51. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. i. I. iii. The Ventricles, Caules, Kells, Tunicles, Creeks, and parts of it. Ibid., I. i. II. iv. This heart, though it be one sole member, yet it may be divided into two creeks right and left.
† 6. A turn, a winding, as of a river or crooked way. Also fig. Obs.
1592. Davies, Immort. Soul, xv. 4. As Streams, which with their winding Banks do play, Stopp’d by their Creeks, run softly thro’ the Plain. Ibid. (1596), Orchestra. I love Meander’s path … Such winding slights, such turns and cricks he hath, Such creaks, such wrenches, and such dalliance.
c. 1653. England’s Alarm, in R. Bell, Collect. Anc. Songs, 1857. Painted harlots which they often meet At every creek and corner of the street.
1671. Flavel, Fount. of Life, vii. 20. In every Creek and turning of your lives.
a. 1680. Charnock, Attrib. God (1834), I. 648. He hath a prospect of every little creek in any design.
† 7. fig. A crooked device; a trick, artifice, contrivance. Obs.
The early date of this sense makes its history and position doubtful.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 131 (Ellesmere MS.). They wene þat no man may hem bigile … The moore queynte crekes [so 4 MSS.; Harl. knakkes] that they make The moore wol I stele.
a. 1626. W. Sclater, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxvi. 6. Without those slights, or creeks of carnal policy, for which men are in the world esteemed wise.
III. 8. attrib. and Comb., as creek-hole, -side.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 173. In the bankes and sides of these Ponds, you must have Bushes and Creeke holes, for the Fish to hide them in from the heate of the Sunne.
1748. F. Smith, Voy. Disc. N. W. Pass., I. 145. The Pieces of Swamp between this Channel and the Creek-head.
1859. K. Cornwallis, New World, I. 111. A creek-bed ran parallel with the road.
1879. Whittier, St. John, xvii. From island and creek-side Her fishers shall throng.
Hence Creekward a., towards a creek.
1859. Cleveland Morn. Leader, 21 June, 2/2. They wash gold out of surface dirt found on the banks of the creek and on the creek-ward slope of the mountains.
1887. C. C. Abbott, Waste-Land Wand., iii. 85. Kept a creekward course until out of sight.
