eke

¹

[ eek ]

verb (used with object)

, eked, ek·ing.

1. to increase; enlarge; lengthen.

verb phrase

1. 1. to make (a living) or support (existence) laboriously:

      They managed to eke out a living by farming a small piece of land.

   2. to supplement; add to; stretch:

      to eke out an income with odd jobs.

eke

²

[ eek ]

adverb

, Archaic.

1. also.

eke

¹

/ iːk /

verb

1. archaic.
   tr to increase, enlarge, or lengthen

eke

²

/ iːk /

sentence connector

1. archaic.
   also; moreover

Word History and Origins

Origin of eke¹

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

Origin of eke²

before 900; Middle English eek, Old English ēc, ēac; cognate with German auch, Old Norse, Gothic auk

Word History and Origins

Origin of eke¹

Old English eacan; related to Old Norse auka to increase, Latin augēre to increase

Origin of eke²

Old English eac; related to Old Norse, Gothic auk also, Old High German ouh, Latin autem but, aut or

Example Sentences

Candidate quality matters, too: A strong campaigner like Riggs can eke out a victory through moving, personal appeals to voters who are mostly tuned out from politics.

From Slate

Early Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Rep. Mike Lawler, who holds a suburban New York seat, managed to eke out a second term.

From Los Angeles Times

She could also eke out a razor-thin victory that might take weeks to settle.

From Slate

In the quarter, that helped the firm eke out a 0.3% sales rise in the US in stores open at least a year.

From BBC

That should be enough for Harris to eke out a win — but it might not be.

From Salon