What is the difference between a creek, stream, brook and river?????

Answer 1

I'm sure there really is a diference...but..I think it all depends on where you grew up. When I was little we lived by a creek and fished in it with our cane poles....now that I'm grown up..its more like a little brook...or stream.....and I believe a river is much bigger than the other three.

Answer 2

This is really a dictionary question rather than a science question. It is
complicated by the fact that the word "creek" has very different meanings in
different English dialects. Neither "river" nor "creek" is used by scientists as
a technical word with a precisely defined meaning.

In British English, "creek" means a small and narrow inlet of the sea, possibly a
sunken river valley. In Australian, it means (roughly) a small river. In British
English, the words "brook" or "stream" would be used instead. The best reference
for North American usage (with which I am much less familiar) is Webster OnLine.

From the way you seem to be using the word, I gather that your sense is fairly
similar to the Australian sense. We have some "creeks" that are considerably
larger, longer, or stronger flowing than some rivers. We have very few of either
creeks or rivers that flow reliably all year round! I would imagine that you
would have large "creeks" and small "rivers" in the USA also.

The British usage is retained in a small number of Australian "creeks", most
notably in the area around Sydney harbour and the central NSW coast (e.g. Coal &
Candle Creek).

Answer 3

Creek: In British English usage, a creek is a tidal water channel. Creeks may often dry to a muddy channel with little or no flow at low tide, but often with significant depth of water at high tide. This is the majority usage of the term in British English and Indian English.

Stream: The primary meaning of stream is a body of water, confined within a bed and banks and having a detectable current. Stream is the umbrella term used in the scientific community for all flowing natural waters.

Brook: The primary meaning of stream is a body of water, confined within a bed and banks and having a detectable current. Stream is the umbrella term used in the scientific community for all flowing natural waters.

River: A river is a large natural waterway. It is a specific term in the vernacular for large streams, stream being the umbrella term used in the scientific community for all flowing natural waterways. In the vernacular, stream may be used to refer to smaller streams, as may creek, run, fork, etc.

Answer 4

creeks run into rivers which run into seas or oceans. a stream runs into a lake and a brook runs into a pond. But brooks and streams can also flow first into rivers. Its all a matter of size.

Answer 5

a creek is caused by run off and does not always have water in it.
A stream is a constant supply of water supplied by a source.
A brook is the same as a stream.
River is a major stream of water usually running from source to source.

Answer 6

The difference is the volume of water that travels thru it and the combination of the source of the water and what the water dumps into [another river, a sea, an ocean, etc.]