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.).
Phrases and idioms:
sponge 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.
Derivatives:
spongeable adj. spongelike adj. spongiform adj. (esp. in senses 1, 2).
Etymology: OE f. L spongia f. Gk spoggia, spoggos