As a body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel." The modern Dutch term is kil.

The term is used in areas of Dutch influence in New York State and other areas of the former New Netherland colony of Dutch America to describe a strait, river or arm of the sea. Examples are Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill, both separating Staten Island, New York from New Jersey, and used as a composite name, Wallkill River in Orange County, New York and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. In Delaware, there ironically exists "Murderkill."

A reference to 'kil' can be found in Dutch geographical names, e.g. Dordtsche Kil and Sluiskil (in the Terneuzen municipality).