any member of the Creek Confederacy (especially the Muskogee) formerly living in Georgia and Alabama but now chiefly in Oklahoma
"After years of hardship, the displaced Creek finally found a permanent home on their new reservation in Oklahoma."
A small inlet or bay, often saltwater, narrower and extending farther into the land than a cove; a recess in the shore of the sea, or of a river; the inner part of a port that is used as a dock for small boats.
"The Creek delegation traveled south to negotiate a treaty with Spanish officials in New Orleans."
One of a Native American tribe from the Southeastern United States, also known as the Muscogee.
In plain English: A creek is a small, narrow stream of water that flows through land and usually empties into a larger body of water.
"We went for a swim in the quiet creek behind our house."
Usage: As a noun referring to a small stream or inlet in the ocean, use "creek" to describe a narrow body of water that flows into a larger river, lake, or sea. Do not use this term when referring to the Native American tribe known as the Creek or Muscogee people.
Of or pertaining to the Creek tribe.
"The historical marker explained that the local artifacts belonged to a prominent Creek leader from before the American Civil War."
"The creek bed was dry and cracked after the long summer drought."
Usage: The adjective form of creek refers specifically to things related to the Native American Creek tribe and should not be used to describe small streams. In casual conversation about waterways, people mistakenly use creek as a noun for a stream rather than an adjective.
The Muskogean language of the Creek tribe.
"The anthropologist spent months studying the complex grammar and vocabulary of the Creek dialect before publishing her findings on its unique linguistic features."
The word "creek" likely comes from the Old Norse kriki, which originally meant a winding place derived from a root meaning "to turn." It entered Middle English as crike and eventually evolved into its modern form through changes in pronunciation or possible reborrowing from Dutch.