hand-to-mouth

hand-to-mouth Definition

hand·-to-mouth (-mo̵ut̸h′)

adjective

characterized by the necessity of spending or consuming all that is obtained; at or below the level of mere subsistence

hand-to-mouth Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

existence: His hand-to-mouth existence, where his death could always be only minutes away, spells the end of his innocence.
basis: Mark Seddon has edited Tribune on a hand-to-mouth basis for 10 years, feeding his own family by doing freelance work elsewhere.

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