{ } n. [ G., fr. Skr. ēka one + G. bor, boron, E. boron. ] (Chem.) The name given by Mendelejeff in accordance with the periodic law, and by prediction, to a hypothetical element then unknown, but since discovered and named scandium; -- so called because it was a missing analogue of the boron group. See Scandium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Skr. ēka one + E. aluminium. ] (Chem.) The name given by Mendeleev to a hypothetical element, -- later discovered and called gallium. See Gallium, and cf. Ekabor. Also see periodic table. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ Skr. ēka one + E. silicon. ] (Chem.) The name of a hypothetical element predicted by Mendeleev and afterwards discovered and named germanium; -- so called because it was a missing analogue of the silicon group. See Germanium, and cf. Ekabor. Also see periodic table. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Eked p. pr. & vb. n. Eking. ] [ AS. ēkan, &ymacr_;kan; akin to OFries. āka, OS. ōkian, OHG. ouhhōn to add, Icel. auka to increase, Sw. öka, Dan. öge, Goth. aukan, L. augere, Skr. ōjas strength, ugra mighty, and probably to English wax, v. i. Cf. Augment, Nickname. ] 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.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

He eked out by his wits an income of barely fifty pounds. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An addition. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Clumsy ekes that may well be spared. Geddes. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ AS. eác; akin to OFries. ák, OS. &unr_;k, D. &unr_;ok, OHG. ouh, G. auch, Icel. auk, Sw. och and, Dan. og, Goth. auk for, but. Prob. from the preceding verb. ] In addition; also; likewise. [ Obs. or Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

'T will be prodigious hard to prove
That this is eke the throne of love. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

A trainband captain eke was he
Of famous London town. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Eke serves less to unite than to render prominent a subjoined more important sentence or notion. Mätzner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Ekeberg, a German. ] (Min.) A variety of scapolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Nickname. ] An additional or epithet name; a nickname. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Eke, v. t. ] (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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]