Eke v. t. [imp. & p. p. Eked p. pr. & vb. n. Eking.] To increase; to add to; to augment; -- now commonly used with out, the notion conveyed being to add to, or piece out by a laborious, inferior, or scanty addition; as, to eke out a scanty supply of one kind with some other. “To eke my pain.”
He eked out by his wits an income of barely fifty pounds. --Macaulay.
Ek·ing n. Shipbuilding (a) A lengthening or filling piece to make good a deficiency in length. (b) The carved work under the quarter piece at the aft part of the quarter gallery. [Written also eiking.]
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