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1. Dictionary

   sponge

   /spənj/

   noun

   • 1. a primitive sedentary aquatic invertebrate with a soft porous body that is typically supported by a framework of fibers or calcareous or glassy spicules. Sponges draw in a current of water to extract nutrients and oxygen.
   • 2. a piece of a soft, light, porous substance originally consisting of the fibrous skeleton of an invertebrate but now usually made of synthetic material. Sponges absorb liquid and are used for washing and cleaning.
   • ▪ an act of wiping or cleaning with a sponge: "they gave him a quick sponge down"
   • ▪ sponge used as padding or insulating material: "the headguard is padded with sponge"
   • ▪ a piece of sponge impregnated with spermicide and inserted into a woman's vagina as a form of barrier contraceptive.
   • ▪ metal in a porous form, typically prepared by reduction without fusion or by electrolysis: "platinum sponge"
   • 3. short for sponge cake British
   • ▪ a steamed or baked pudding of fat, flour, and eggs.
   • 4. a person who lives at someone else's expense. informal, derogatory
   • 5. a heavy drinker. informal

   verb

   • 1. wipe, rub, or clean with a wet sponge or cloth: "she sponged him down in an attempt to cool his fever"
   • ▪ remove or wipe away (liquid or a mark) with a wet sponge or cloth: "I'll go and sponge this orange juice off my dress"
   • ▪ give a decorative mottled or textured effect to (a painted wall or surface) by applying a different shade of paint with a sponge: "she repainted the walls white, then sponged them in turquoise, green, and lilac"
   • 2. obtain or accept money or food from other people without doing or intending to do anything in return: informal "they found they could earn a perfectly good living by sponging off others"
   • ▪ obtain (something) without doing anything in return for it: "he edged closer, clearly intending to sponge money from her"

   Word Origin Old English (in sponge (sense 2 of the noun)), via Latin from Greek spongia, later form of spongos, reinforced in Middle English by Old French esponge.

   Derivatives

   • 1. spongeable adjective
   • 2. sponge-like adjective

   Scrabble Points: 9

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › spongeSponge Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › sponge

   • Cached

   The meaning of SPONGE is an elastic porous mass of interlacing horny fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals (phylum Porifera) and is able when wetted to absorb water.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishSPONGE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   SPONGE definition: 1. a soft substance that is full of small holes and can absorb a lot of liquid, and is used for…. Learn more.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › spongeSPONGE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › sponge

   • Cached

   noun. any aquatic, chiefly marine animal of the phylum Porifera, having a porous structure and usually a horny, siliceous or calcareous internal skeleton or framework, occurring in large, sessile colonies.

5. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › spongeSponge - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › sponge

   A sponge has holes and soaks up liquid. One kind of sponge is a water-dwelling animal with a soft body and an asymmetrical shape. But the kind of sponge you use to clean the kitchen is usually man-made.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › spongeSponge - definition of sponge by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › sponge

   • Cached

   1. a. Any of numerous aquatic, chiefly marine filter-feeding invertebrate animals of the phylum Porifera, characteristically having a porous skeleton composed of fibrous material or siliceous or calcareous spicules and often forming colonies attached to an underwater surface. Also called poriferan. b.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishSPONGE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   Sponge is a very light soft substance with lots of little holes in it, which can be either artificial or natural. It is used to clean things or as a soft layer.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishsponge | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   sponge definition: 1. a soft substance full of small holes, which absorbs liquid very easily and is used for washing…. Learn more.

9. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › american_englishsponge noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › american_english

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   noun. /spʌndʒ/ enlarge image. [countable] a piece of artificial or natural material that is soft and light and full of holes and can hold water easily, used for washing or cleaning a bath sponge (= to wash your body with in the bath) (figurative) His mind was like a sponge, ready to absorb anything. Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

10. en.wiktionary.org › wiki › spongesponge - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

    en.wiktionary.org › wiki › sponge

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    Jul 10, 2024 · sponge ( countable and uncountable, plural sponges) ( countable) Any of various marine invertebrates of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica . ( countable) A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).

11. www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › spongesponge - Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online

    www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › sponge

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    sponge meaning, definition, what is sponge: a piece of a soft natural or artificial ...: Learn more.