to eke out a miserable existence

См. также в других словарях:

• eke out — Fowler (1926) wanted to limit the use of this phrasal verb to refer to things that can be made to last longer or go further, i.e. a supply: ‘you can eke out your income or a scanty subsistence with odd jobs or by fishing, but you cannot eke out a …   Modern English usage

• eke — [i:k] v eke out [eke sth<=>out] phr v [: Old English; Origin: iecan, ecan to increase ] 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… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• existence — n. 1) to lead a certain existence (to lead a drab existence) 2) to eke out a (miserable) existence 3) a drab, miserable; precarious existence * * * [ɪg zɪst(ə)ns] miserable precarious existence a drab to eke out a (miserable) existence to lead a… …   Combinatory dictionary

• eke — verb eke sth out phrasal verb (T) literary 1 to make a small supply of something such as food or money last longer by carefully only using small amounts of it: Today s retired home owner has to eke out his pension as best he can. 2 eke out a… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

• existence — noun 1 state of existing ADJECTIVE ▪ actual, real ▪ El Cid s actual existence is not in doubt. ▪ Since her illness, other people had no real existence for her. ▪ possible …   Collocations dictionary

• eke — I. /ik / (say eek) verb (t) (eked, eking) 1. Archaic to increase; enlarge; lengthen. –phrase 2. eke out, a. to supply what is lacking to; supplement: *If you unpick Juliet s bridesmaid s dress … and eke it out with an extra yard or two of red… …  

• existence — ex|ist|ence W2S3 [ıgˈzıstəns] n 1.) [U] the state of existing existence of ▪ It is impossible to prove the existence of God. in existence ▪ The organization has been in existence for 25 years. ▪ Scientists have many theories about how the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• existence */*/*/ — UK [ɪɡˈzɪst(ə)ns] / US [ɪɡˈzɪstəns] noun Word forms existence : singular existence plural existences 1) [uncountable] the state of being a real or living thing, or of being present in a particular place, time, or situation The tests confirm the… …   English dictionary

• existence — ex|is|tence [ ıg zıstəns ] noun *** 1. ) uncount the state of being a real or living thing, or of being present in a particular place, time, or situation: The tests confirm the existence of a brain tumor. come into existence/go out of existence:… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• doomed — adj. 1) doomed to (doomed to failure) 2) doomed to + inf. (he is doomed to eke out a miserable existence) * * * [duːmd] doomed to + inf. (he is doomed to eke out a miserable existence) doomed to (doomed to failure) …   Combinatory dictionary

• Okahandja Concentration Camp — After the battle of Waterburg, in which the Schutztruppers of German South West Africa used machine guns and cannons to force the indigenous Herero into the Omaheke desert, then used Maxim machine guns to prevent the Herero from gaining access to …   Wikipedia