eke /iːk/ verb
[Language: Old English; 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:
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?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲