eke out

verb

Etymology: From obsolete eke (“to add to, augment; to increase”) + out.

1. To supplement.

   “The old man eked out his pension by selling vegetables from his garden.”

   “Now the reaſons why they teach the calves to drink ſo ſoon are various. [...] Secondly, the goodwife ſaves milk by this way of drinking, for ſhe quickly ekes out the milk with pottage, &c.”

2. To obtain with difficulty or effort.

   “Near-synonym: squeeze out”

   “He eked out a living selling vegetables from his garden.”