# brook

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɹʊk/ · frequency rank #10,503

## Definitions
1. To bear; endure; support; put up with; tolerate.
2. To enjoy the use of; make use of; profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, or hold.
3. To earn; deserve.

## Etymology
From Middle English brouken (“to use, enjoy”), from Old English brūcan (“to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend”), from Proto-West Germanic *brūkan, from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to enjoy, use”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHg- (“to enjoy”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian bruke (“to need”), Dutch bruiken (“to use”), German Low German bruken (“to need”), German brauchen (“to need”), Swedish bruka (“to use”), Icelandic brúka (“to use”).

## Easily confused with
- **bros** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-bros)
- **brow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-brow)
- **brown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-brown)
- **broom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-broom)
- **broth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-broth)
- **brows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-brows)
- **brooks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-brooks)
- **Brooke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brook-vs-brooke)
- **bro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bro-vs-brook)
- **boo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boo-vs-brook)
- **bok** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bok-vs-brook)
- **book** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/book-vs-brook)
- **boom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boom-vs-brook)
- **boot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boot-vs-brook)
- **boon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boon-vs-brook)
- **boob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boob-vs-brook)
- **boos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boos-vs-brook)
- **Brom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brom-vs-brook)
- **boop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boop-vs-brook)
- **bock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bock-vs-brook)

## Common misspellings (7)
`bbrook`, `borok`, `brok`, `broko`, `brookk`, `brrook`, `rbook`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/brook