sponge

Meaning

Noun

1. Any of various marine invertebrates of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
2. A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
3. The porous material that synthetic washing sponges are made of.
4. (informal) A heavy drinker.
5. A type of light cake.
6. A type of steamed pudding.
7. (slang) A person who takes advantage of the generosity of others (abstractly imagined to absorb or soak up the money or efforts of others like a sponge).
8. A person who readily absorbs ideas.
9. A form of contraception that is inserted vaginally; a contraceptive sponge.
10. Any sponge-like substance.
11. Any sponge-like substance.
12. Any sponge-like substance.
13. A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.
14. The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, corresponding to the heel.
15. (slang) A nuclear power plant worker routinely exposed to radiation.

Verb

1. (slang) To take advantage of the kindness of others.
2. To get by imposition; to scrounge.
3. To deprive (somebody) of something by imposition.
4. To clean, soak up, or dab with a sponge.
5. To suck in, or imbibe, like a sponge.
6. To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.
7. To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven.
8. To use a piece of wild sponge as a tool when foraging for food.

Synonyms

parasite

sponger

cadge

poriferan

leech

parazoan

foam rubber

spongia

brush

loofah

freeloader

mop

coral

🪸

bum

quick study

mooch

grub

soaker

sponge-cake

swab

swell up

sycophant

toady

tool

wipe off

porous material

porosint

swab down

eadge

black morel

cellular material

beg

foamed materials

bread

🍞

clean

crave

dust

efface

foam material

freeload

hanger-on

loofa

mop up

obliterate

rag

remove

scrounge

scrounger

scrubber

Pronounced as (IPA)

/spʌnd͡ʒ/

Etymology

From Middle English sponge, from Old English spunge, taken from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá), related to σπόγγος (spóngos).