eke

1 of 2

adverb

ˈēk 

archaic

: also

eke

2 of 2

verb

eked; eking

transitive verb

1

archaic : increase, lengthen

2

: to get with great difficulty

—usually used with out

eke out a living

Synonyms

Verb

• scrape (up or together)
• scrounge
• squeeze
• wrest
• wring

Examples of eke in a Sentence

Verb

eked out a living from the family's small farm

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Since then, Nepal has eked concessions from both sides, and today India and China vie to be its top source of foreign direct investment. —By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

Two years later, David Goggins, in his third attempt, eked it up to 4025. —Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025

There are a series of cameras pointed at the blocks and a laptop running software that is going to eke the final per cent out of Lyles’ starts. —Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024

Between the 1999-00 and 2020-21 seasons, the West had a worse record in intra-conference matchups just once, when the East eked it out in 2008-09 by winning 51.3%. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English ēac; akin to Old High German ouh also, Latin aut or, Greek au again

Verb

Middle English echen, (northern and east Midlands) eken "to increase, extend, add, improve," going back to Old English īcan, gīcan, ȳcan, geȳcan, (Anglian) geēcan "to increase, add to, enhance," weak-verb derivative from Germanic *aukan- "to increase" (class VII strong verb), whence Old English ēacen, ēcen (past participle) "increased, endowed with excellent qualities, mighty," Old Frisian āka "to increase," Old Saxon ōkan "to make pregnant," Old High German zuoouhhan "to add," Old Icelandic auka "to increase, add to, surpass," Gothic aukan "to increase" (intransitive); Germanic *aukan- going back to a present stem from the Indo-European verbal base *h₂eu̯g- "grow, increase," whence also, with other formations, Lithuanian áugu, áugti "to grow," Latin augēō, augēre, perfect auxī "to increase, make greater, heighten"

Note: Regarding the most likely related Indo-European base *h₂u̯eks- see the note at wax entry 3.

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing eke

• eke out