runnel

a natural body of running water smaller than a river the fugitive made use of local runnels to throw the bloodhounds off his scent Synonyms beck [British], bourn (or bourne), brook, brooklet, burn [British], gill [British], rill, rivulet, run [chiefly Midland], runlet, creek, streamletRelated Words arroyo, billabong [Australian], fresh, freshet, runoff; bayou, coulee, slough (also slew or slue), stream, wash; canal, channel, cut, cutoff, gut, kill, millrace, millstream, race, watercourse, waterway; affluent, branch, confluent, distributary, influent, tributary