eke out
verb (used with object), eked, ek·ing.
Verb phrases 1.
to increase; enlarge; lengthen.
2.
eke out,
a.
to make (a living) or support (existence) laboriously: They managed to eke out a living by farming a small piece of land.
b.
to supplement; add to; stretch: to eke out an income with odd jobs.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English eken, Old English ēac(i)an (intransitive), derivative of ēaca (noun) increase; Middle English echen, Old English ēcan, variant of īecan (transitive) < West Germanic *aukjan; both akin to Old Norse auka, Gothic aukan, Latin augēre, Greek auxánein to increase, amplify
before 1000; Middle English eken, Old English ēac(i)an (intransitive), derivative of ēaca (noun) increase; Middle English echen, Old English ēcan, variant of īecan (transitive) < West Germanic *aukjan; both akin to Old Norse auka, Gothic aukan, Latin augēre, Greek auxánein to increase, amplify
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To eke out
00:10
Eke out
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
eke1 (iːk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| archaic (tr) to increase, enlarge, or lengthen | |
| [Old English eacan; related to Old Norse auka to increase, Latin augēre to increase] | |
| eke2 (iːk) | |
| —sentence connector | |
| archaic also; moreover | |
| [Old English eac; related to Old Norse, Gothic auk also, Old High German ouh, Latin autem but, aut or] | |
| eke out | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to make (a supply) last, esp by frugal use: they eked out what little food was left |
| 2. | to support (existence) with difficulty and effort |
| 3. | to add to (something insufficient), esp with effort: to eke out an income with evening work |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
eke
c.1200, north England and E. Midlands var. of echen from O.E. ecan, eacan, eacian "addition, reinforcement," probably from eaca "an increase," from P.Gmc. *aukan (cf. O.N. auka, O.Fris. aka, Goth. aukan), from PIE *aug- "to increase" (see augment). Now mainly in phrase to
eke out (1590s). It means "to make something go further or last longer;" you can eke out your income by taking a second job, but you can't eke out your miserable existence. Obsolete eke "also" (O.E. eac, Ger. auch) is probably related. Related: Eked; eking
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
eke out
-
Supplement, make last, as in The survivors eked out their food and water until they were rescued. [Late 1500s]
-
Get with great difficulty or effort, as in The soil was terrible but they managed to eke out a living by rotating crops. [Early 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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