eke /iːk/ BrE AmE 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?