To earn one's living; to obtain income by working to support oneself or one's dependents.
To secure one's daily means of subsistence through labor.
2.
SpainLatin Americainformalcolloquial
To expose oneself to danger or make significant sacrifices in order to earn a livelihood.
Examples:
ES: Usted arriesga su vida para ganarse las lentejas, deberían estar orgullosos de usted.
EN: - [Neighbor] We're like dogs risking our lives, we got kids. - [Officer] That's 47. - [Neighbor] And when they see you come, they oughta be private--