n.
Pronunciation: ' sp ə nj
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin spongia, from Greek
Date: before 12th century
1 a (1) : 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 (2) : a piece of sponge (as for scrubbing and cleaning) (3) : a porous rubber or cellulose product used similarly to a sponge b : any of a phylum (Porifera) of aquatic chiefly marine simple invertebrate animals that have a double-walled body of loosely aggregated cells with a skeleton supported by spicules or spongin and are filter feeders that are sessile as adults
2 : a pad (as of folded gauze) used in surgery and medicine (as to remove discharge or apply medication)
3 : one who lives on others : SPONGER
4 a : a soft mixture of yeast, liquid, and flour that is allowed to rise and then mixed with additional ingredients to create bread dough b : a whipped dessert usually containing whites of eggs or gelatin c : a metal (as platinum) obtained in porous form usually by reduction without fusion <titanium sponge > d : the egg mass of a crab
5 : an absorbent contraceptive device that is impregnated with spermicide and inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse to cover the cervix
synonyms see PARASITE