Sike is a stream. What's a stream?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gill_(stream)

Gill or Ghyll is used for a stream or narrow valley in the North of England and other parts of the United Kingdom. The word originates from the Old Norse Gil.[1] Examples include Dufton Ghyll Wood, Dungeon Ghyll, Troller's Gill, Brockma Gill and Trow Ghyll. As a related usage, Gaping Gill is the name of a cave, not the associated stream, and Cowgill, Masongill and Halton Gill are derived names of villages.[2]

Where the word Gill refers to a valley, the stream flowing through it is often referred to as a Beck: for example in Swaledale, Gunnerside Beck flows through Gunnerside Ghyll. Beck is also used as a more general term for streams in the north of England – examples include Ais Gill Beck and Arkle Beck. In the North Pennines, the word Sike is found in similar circumstances. This is particularly common in the Appleby Fells area where sikes significantly outnumber the becks and gills; it can also be seen in the name of Eden Sike Cave in Mallerstang.

In the High Weald Gills are deeply cut ravines, usually with a stream in the base which historically eroded the ravine. These Gills may be up to 200 ft (60 metres) deep, which represents a significant physiographic feature in lowland England.[3]

Also in old and not so old (early modern, apparently) English, the word sike meant 'such', or 'such as'.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eAgp1Mw7_R0C&pg=PA451&dq=sike&hl=en&sa=X&ei=742AVL3CGs_nas25gLgJ&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA

I say not so old English, as my Nan used to use the word, meaning 'such'. She came from the North of England and was born in 1890.

One I remember was when she used to look after us when we were kids, and supervised our wash in the morning.

If we didn't make a good job of it, she would soap up a flannel and scrub our necks clean, always saying the same thing....

"Did 'e wash his dirty neck? Did 'e 'eck, did 'e 'eck."

If we protested, she would say "Don't make sike fuss" (in classic Northern accent)

That is reminiscent of the broad Scots "Ye'll nae dae sic a thing."

The English equivalent in that case is also "such". But no doubt I digress.