капля за каплей

• КАПЛЯ ЗА КАПЛЕЙ; (КАПЛЯ) ПО КАПЛЕ; ПО КАПЛЯМ

[these forms only; adv; usu. used with impfv verbs; fixed WO]

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⇒ gradually, slowly, by degrees:

- drop by drop;

- bit by bit;

- little by little.

     ♦ [Ольга:1 И в самом деле, за эти четыре года, пока служу в гимназии, я чувствую, как из меня выходят каждый день по каплям и силы и молодость (Чехов 5). [О.:] And really, all these four years while I've been working at school, I've felt as though my strength and my youth were draining out of me drop by drop (5b).