1
: a natural stream of water normally smaller than and often tributary to a river
2
chiefly British
: a small inlet or bay narrower and extending farther inland than a cove
3
archaic
: a narrow or winding passage
see also:
1
plural Creek or Creeks
: a member of any of a group of Indigenous American peoples that formed a confederacy in Georgia and eastern Alabama in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and that were forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1836 to 1840
2
a
plural Creek or Creeks
: a member of the people who comprised the nucleus of the Creek confederacy : muscogee sense 1
b
: the Muskogean language of this people : muscogee sense 2
Note: Creek is the name by which the Muscogee people were known to English settlers prior to their forcible removal to Indian Territory. Present-day members of this nation live under the name Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Cite this Entry
“Creek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creek. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.
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