eke

¹ American  

[eek] / ik /

verb (used with object)

eked, eking

1. to increase; enlarge; lengthen.

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verb phrase

1. eke out

   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 American  

[eek] / ik /

adverb

Archaic.

1. also.

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eke ¹ British  

/ iːk /

verb

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

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eke ² British  

/ iːk /

1. archaic also; moreover

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

While the world number one could not add to the tally, he largely demonstrated the consistency for which is he famed to eke out a solid, if unspectacular 70.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“They’re trying to eke more out of the program, but spousal benefits are tricky. That’s why people still need a rulebook,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Half-built brick houses sit on once-fertile land, where families eke out meagre livings through small trades or day labour.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Tech stocks paused their recent slide on Tuesday, helping major indexes to eke out minor gains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

I've struggled for days to eke out extra time from him.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir