verb
1. supplement what is thought to be deficient (Freq. 2)
-
He eked out his meager pay by giving private lessons
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Braque eked out his collages with charcoal
• Syn: ↑fill out
• Hypernyms: ↑supplement
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
2. live from day to day, as with some hardship
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He eked out his years in great poverty
• Hypernyms: ↑live
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
3. make by laborious and precarious means
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He eked out a living as a painter
• Syn: ↑squeeze out
• Hypernyms:
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
4. obtain with difficulty
-
He eked out some information from the archives
• Syn: ↑squeeze out
• Hypernyms: ↑obtain
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s PP
* * *
eke out [phrasal verb]
1 : to get or achieve (a living, a victory, etc.) with great difficulty
They eked out a living from the poor soil of the family's farm. [=they could grow only enough food to survive]
It looks like he has narrowly eked out a win in the election.
The company eked out a tiny profit last year.
2 : to increase (something) by a small amount
He eked out [=(more commonly) supplemented] his small income by working for neighbors.
3 : to make (a limited amount of something) last by using it carefully in small amounts
eke out food supplies
• • •
Main Entry: ↑eke
Useful english dictionary. 2012.