# eke

> English word · Noun · IPA /iːk/ · frequency rank #45,352

## Definitions
1. An addition.
2. A small stand on which a beehive is placed.
3. A spacer put between or over or under hive parts to make more space.

## Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English eke (“addition, increase, enlargement”), from Old English ēaca, from Proto-Germanic *aukô, from *aukaną (“to increase, add, enlarge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- (“to enlarge, increase”). The English noun is cognate with Old Frisian āka (“addition, increase; bonus”), Old Norse auki (“growth, increase, proliferation”).
The verb is derived partly:
* from the noun; and
* from Middle English eken (“to increase, add, enlarge”) [and other forms], from three distinct verbs (1) Old English īeċan (“to increase, add, enlarge”) (transitive), (2) ēacan (“to be enlarged or increased”), and (3) ēacian, all from Proto-Germanic *aukaną (“to grow, increase”); see further above.
The English verb is cognate with Latin augeō (“to augment, increase; to enlarge, expand, spread; to lengthen; to exaggerate; to enrich; to honour; (figuratively) to exalt, praise”), Old English ēac (“also”), Old Norse auka (“to augment, increase; to add; to exceed, surpass”), Icelandic auka (“to augment, increase to add; to exceed, surpass”), (Danish øge (“to enhance; to increase”), Norwegian Bokmål øke (“to increase”), Norwegian Nynorsk auka (“to increase”), Swedish öka (“to increase”)).

## Easily confused with
- **ex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ex)
- **et** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-et)
- **EU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-eu)
- **em** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-em)
- **el** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-el)
- **en** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-en)
- **er** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-er)
- **EP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ep)
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-es)
- **EV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ev)
- **ew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ew)
- **ey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ey)
- **ez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-ez)
- **eo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-eo)
- **end** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-end)
- **eye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-eye)
- **era** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-era)
- **eve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-eve)
- **est** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-est)
- **EPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eke-vs-epa)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/eke