1
cross a/the creek
用冠词 a 表示泛指，the 表示特指。
We had to cross a creek to reach the meadow.
我们必须穿过一条小溪才能到达草地。
小溪，小河
creeks — plural of creek
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
小溪，小河
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
We had to cross a creek to reach the meadow.
我们必须穿过一条小溪才能到达草地。
比river小，常为支流
任何转弯或弯曲。
Any turn or winding.
美国东南部的一个美洲原住民部落,也称为马斯科吉
One of a Native American tribe from the Southeastern United States, also known as the Muscogee.
小溪；支流
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
克里克人(原居佐治亚和阿拉巴马,现主要居俄克拉荷马)
any member of the Creek Confederacy (especially the Muskogee) formerly living in Georgia and Alabama but now chiefly in Oklahoma
The children love to play by the creek after school.
孩子们喜欢放学后在小溪边玩耍。
AI contextual example
We followed the creek until it reached a small waterfall.
我们沿着小溪一直走到一个小瀑布。
AI contextual example
The creek is shallow enough to cross on foot.
这条小溪很浅，可以徒步过河。
AI contextual example
the creek dried up every summer
这条小溪每年夏天都会干涸。
WordNet
用冠词 a 表示泛指，the 表示特指。
We had to cross a creek to reach the meadow.
我们必须穿过一条小溪才能到达草地。
表示沿着小溪的路线。
They walked along the creek every morning.
他们每天早晨沿着小溪散步。
表示在小溪的水中或溪流内。
Children were playing in the creek.
孩子们在小溪里玩耍。
Not this
I walked along creek.
Use this
I walked along the creek.
中文没有冠词，学习者易遗漏。这里需用定冠词 'the' 特指已知的小溪。
Not this
The creeks in this area is clean.
Use this
The creeks in this area are clean.
中文名词单复数同形，动词不随主语变化，导致主谓一致错误。主语 'creeks' 是复数，谓语应用 'are'。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
潺潺的小溪
We could hear a babbling creek behind the cabin.
我们能听到小屋后有一条潺潺的小溪。
小溪的河床
The creek bed was dry in the summer.
夏天里小溪的河床干涸了。
渡过小溪
We crossed the creek to reach the meadow.
我们渡过小溪到达草地。
沿着小溪走
Follow the creek until you see the bridge.
沿着小溪走，直到你看到那座桥。
山间小溪
The mountain creek flows clear and cold.
山间小溪清澈而寒冷地流淌。
处于困境；遇到麻烦
He missed the last bus and was up the creek.
他错过了最后一班公交车，陷入了困境。
陷入绝境；束手无策
If the bank refuses the loan, we'll be up the creek without a paddle.
如果银行拒绝贷款，我们就束手无策了。
陷入困境，无计可施。
“Up the creek without a paddle” is a common American idiom meaning “in trouble”.
“Up the creek without a paddle” 是一个常见的美国习语，意思是“陷入困境”。
发长 /iː/ 音 (如 see, free)
Use creeks naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
小溪 creek 中间的 ee 像两道流动的水波；发音 /kriːk/ 似溪水的咕咕声（联想记忆，非词源）。
语域：neutral 常见场景：日常对话、地理或自然描述 “creek”表示小溪、小河时，通常属于中性常用词，口语和书面语都适用；在美式英语中尤其常见，多用于指比河小的自然水流。
These all rhyme with creek (/kriːk/), ending in the same vowel sound /iː/ plus /k/. Leek, peek, week, cheek, and sleek share the spelling pattern -eek; creak is spelled -eak but is pronounced exactly the same. Beware of lookalikes such as crick (/krɪk/), which has a short /ɪ/ and does not rhyme.
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.