Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 éaca, 3, 6, 9 eke, Sc. (6 eik, 7 eeke). See also ECHE sb. [OE. éaca = ON. auke:—OTeut. *aukon-, f. same root as ECHE v.]
1. An addition, increase; a piece added on; a supplement. In OE., A reinforcement (of troops).
894. O. E. Chron. (Parker MS.). Him com micel eaca to.
a. 1000. Sal. & Sat., 460 (Gr.). Forþon is witena ʓehwam wopes eaca.
1786. Geddes, Prosp. New Trans. Bible, 95. The words in Italics … are generally ill-assorted and clumsy ekes.
Mod. Sc. It would be too short without an eke.
2. spec. a. A tag to a bell-rope; also attrib., as in bell-eke. Also ECHE. b. A short straw or wooden cylinder on which a beehive is placed to increase its capacity.
1549. in Miss T. Smith, Rotherham Acc. (1878), 12. Paid to Robt. Machon for a neke to our gret Bell.
1566. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, III. 577/2. 6 ekes for bell ropes 1/4.
1594. in Miss T. Smith, Rotherham Acc. (1878), 12. Payd unto Robert Okes for to payre of bell ekes 10s.
1857. C. B. Robinson, Gloss. Best’s Farm. Bks., 184. Underlay. Now called ekes; additional bands of straw placed beneath the hive.
3. Sc. (16th and 17th c.) A supplement, postscript, appendix to a formal document.
1568. Declar. Murray, &c. in H. Campbell, Love-lett. Mary Q. Scots, 11. The eik or additioun to our answer.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 451. The other partie had givin in an eeke or additioun to their former answere.
4. In advb. phrase, to eken (OE. tó éacan) in addition, besides, contracted in ME. into TEKE(N, q.v. Also, in same sense, on eke.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., i. Þæt was to eacan oþrum unarimeðum yflum.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 51. To eken oþer þo gremeden hem sore.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 174. Þe nome of Hester ne seið nout one ‘abscondita’ … auh deð þer teken ‘eleuata in populis.’
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., 34. Hire chyn ys chosen, ant eyther cheke Whit ynoh ant rode on eke.
