transcription, транскрипция: [ spʌndʒ ]
n. & v. --n. 1 any aquatic animal of the phylum Porifera, with pores in its body wall and a rigid internal skeleton. 2 a the skeleton of a sponge, esp. the soft light elastic absorbent kind used in bathing, cleansing surfaces, etc. b a piece of porous rubber or plastic etc. used similarly. 3 a thing of spongelike absorbency or consistency, e.g. a sponge pudding, cake, porous metal, etc. (lemon sponge). 4 = SPONGER. 5 colloq. a person who drinks heavily. 6 cleansing with or as with a sponge (had a quick sponge this morning). --v. 1 tr. wipe or cleanse with a sponge. 2 tr. (also absol.; often foll. by down, over) sluice water over (the body, a car, etc.). 3 tr. (often foll. by out, away, etc.) wipe off or efface (writing, a memory, etc.) with or as with a sponge. 4 tr. (often foll. by up) absorb with or as with a sponge. 5 intr. (often foll. by on, off) live as a parasite; be meanly dependent upon (another person). 6 tr. obtain (drink etc.) by sponging. 7 intr. gather sponges. 8 tr. apply paint with a sponge to (walls, furniture, etc.). øsponge bag a waterproof bag for toilet articles. sponge cake a very light cake with a spongelike consistency. sponge cloth 1 soft, lightly-woven cloth with a slightly wrinkled surface. 2 a thin spongy material used for cleaning. sponge pudding Brit. a steamed or baked pudding of fat, flour, and eggs with a usu. specified flavour. sponge rubber liquid rubber latex processed into a spongelike substance. sponge tree a spiny tropical acacia, Acacia farnesiana, with globose heads of fragrant yellow flowers yielding a perfume: also called OPOPANAX. øøspongeable adj. spongelike adj. spongiform adj. (esp. in senses 1, 2). [OE f. L spongia f. Gk spoggia, spoggos]