eke
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++eke /iːk/ verb 1 eke something ↔ out phrasal verb a) SURVIVE eke out a living/existence to manage to live with very little money or food 勉强度日，竭力维持生计 They eke out a miserable existence in cardboard shacks. 他们在纸板棚屋中凄惨度日。b) LONG TIMEto make a small supply of something such as food or money last longer by carefully using small amounts of it 精打细算地维持；尽量节省使用 How did she manage to eke out the food? 她是怎样想方设法节省食物的呢？→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
eke• Most of them eke out a living as subsistence farmers.• She continued to eke out a living based on the fading memories of her famous plunge.• Most people still live in the hinterlands of the inhabited islands eking out a living, but poverty abounds.• Finally came the bookshop where dear Mr Sneddles tried to eke out a living.• Few had any special skills; they worked as casual laborers, eking out a marginal existence, often reduced to begging.• Again, the choice was between following the work to the factory towns or eking out an existence by labouring.• I was tired of eking out an existence near poverty level on my meager assistantship.• But I restrained the impulse, for it is as well to eke out such tokens of our goodwill as we possess.Origin eke Old English iecan, ecan “to increase”eke verbChinese
live Corpus little with to very to manage
eke
eke /iːk/
verb
eke something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. eke out a living/existence to manage to live with very little money or food:
They eke out a miserable existence in cardboard shacks.
2. to make a small supply of something such as food or money last longer by carefully using small amounts of it:
How did she manage to eke out the food?
eke /iːk/
verb Language: Old English
Origin: iecan, ecan 'to increase'
Origin: iecan, ecan 'to increase'
eke something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. eke out a living/existence to manage to live with very little money or food:
2. to make a small supply of something such as food or money last longer by carefully using small amounts of it:
