sponge (sp nj)n. 1. a. Any of numerous aquatic, chiefly marine invertebrate animals of the phylum Porifera, characteristically having a porous skeleton composed of fibrous material or siliceous or calcareous spicules and often forming irregularly shaped colonies attached to an underwater surface. b. The light, fibrous, flexible, absorbent skeleton of certain of these organisms, used for bathing, cleaning, and other purposes. 2. a. Porous plastics, rubber, cellulose, or other material, similar in absorbency to this skeleton and used for the same purposes. b. Metal in a porous, brittle form, as after the removal of other metals in processing, used as a raw material in manufacturing. 3. A gauze pad used to absorb blood and other fluids, as in surgery or the dressing of a wound. 4. A small absorbent contraceptive pad that contains a spermicide and is placed against the cervix of the uterus before sexual intercourse. 5. Dough that has been or is being leavened. 6. A light cake, such as sponge cake. 7. A sponge bath. 8. One who habitually depends on others for one's own maintenance. 9. a. Informal A glutton. b. Slang A drunkard. v. sponged, spong·ing, spong·es v.tr. 1. To moisten, wipe, or clean with or as if with a sponge: sponge off the table. 2. To wipe out; erase. 3. To absorb with or as if with a sponge: sponge up the mess. 4. Informal To obtain free: sponge a meal. v.intr. 1. To fish for sponges. 2. Informal To live by relying on the generosity of others: sponged off her parents. [Middle English, from Old English, from Latin spongia, from Greek spongi  , from spongos.] |
sponge
Noun
1. a sea animal with a porous absorbent elastic skeleton
2. the skeleton of a sponge, or a piece of artificial sponge, used for bathing or cleaning
3. a soft absorbent material like a sponge
4. Also called: (sponge cake) a light cake made of eggs, sugar, and flour
5. Also called: (sponge pudding) Brit & Austral a light steamed or baked spongy pudding
6. a rub with a wet sponge
Verb
[sponging, sponged]
1. (often foll. by down)to clean (something) by rubbing it with a wet sponge
2. to remove (marks) by rubbing them with a wet sponge
3. (usually foll. by off, on)to get (something) from someone by taking advantage of his or her generosity: stop sponging off the rest of us! [Greek spongia]
spongy adj
| sponge (spnj) 1. Any of numerous aquatic, chiefly marine invertebrate animals of the phylum Porifera. Sponges characteristically have a porous skeleton, usually containing an intricate system of canals, that is composed of fibrous material or siliceous or calcareous spicules. Water passing through the pores brings food to the organism. Sponges live in all depths of the sea, are sessile, and often form irregularly shaped colonies attached to an underwater surface. Sponges are considered the most primitive members of the animal kingdom, since they lack a nervous system and differentiated body tissues or organs. Adults do not have moving parts, but the larvae are free-swimming. Sponges have great regenerative capacities, with some species able to regenerate a complete adult organism from fragments as small as a single cell. Sponges first appear during the early Cambrian Period and may have evolved from protozoa. Also called poriferan. See Note at regeneration. 2. The light, fibrous, flexible, absorbent skeleton of certain of these organisms, used for bathing, cleaning, and other purposes. 3. A piece of porous plastic, rubber, cellulose, or other material, similar in absorbency to this skeleton and used for the same purposes. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  sponge - a porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly usedabsorbent, absorbent material - a material having capacity or tendency to absorb another substance |
| 2. | sponge - someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily; "she soaks up foreign languages like a sponge" assimilator, learner, scholar - someone (especially a child) who learns (as from a teacher) or takes up knowledge or beliefs | |
| 3. | sponge - a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage follower - a person who accepts the leadership of another | |
| 4. | sponge - primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies invertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification phylum Porifera, Porifera - coextensive with the subkingdom Parazoa: sponges glass sponge - a siliceous sponge (with glassy spicules) of the class Hyalospongiae | |
| Verb | 1. | sponge - wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten |
| 2. | sponge - ask for and get free; be a parasite obtain - come into possession of; "How did you obtain the visa?" freeload - live off somebody's generosity; "This young man refuses to work and is freeloading" | |
| 3. | sponge - erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard | |
| 4. | sponge - soak up with a sponge | |
| 5. | sponge - gather sponges, in the ocean gather, pull together, collect, garner - assemble or get together; "gather some stones"; "pull your thoughts together" |
Translations
sponge
n sponge [spandʒ]
1 a type of sea animal, or its soft skeleton, which has many holes and is able to suck up and hold water. spons إسْفَنْج сюнгер houba svamp der Schwamm σφουγγάρι esponja käsnloom اسفنج دريايي sieni éponge סְפוֹג स्पंज spužva szivacs spons svampur spugna 海綿動物 해면 동물 pintis sūklis span spons svamp gąbka esponja burete de mare губка špongia morska goba sunđer tvättsvamp ฟองน้ำ (สัตว์ทะเลชนิดหนึ่ง) sünger 海綿 губка ایک قسم کا سمندری حیوان جس کا ڈھانچا نرم ہوتا ہے اور بہت سے چھید ہوتے ہیں جن کے ذریعے یہ پانی جمع کر سکتا ہے bọt biển 海绵
2 a piece of such a skeleton or a substitute, used for washing the body etc. spons مِمْسَحَه إسْفَنْجِيَّه гъба houba svamp der Schwamm σφουγγάρι esponja pesukäsn, ðvamm ابر؛ اسفنج pesusieni éponge סְפוֹג स्पंज spužva, spužvica za čišćenje szivacs spons svampur spugna スポンジ 해면, 스폰지 kempinė sūklis span spons svamp gąbka esponja burete (de baie) губка špongia goba sunđer tvättsvamp ฟองน้ำ sünger (擦身用的)海綿 губка جسم صاف کرنے کے لئے ایسا کوئی ڈھانچا miếng vải thấm nước （擦身用的）海绵
3 a sponge pudding or cake We had jam sponge for dessert. sponskoek كَعْكَه пандишпан piškot sukkerbrødskage der Schwammpudding ελαφρό κέικ bizcocho puding, biskviitkook كيك اسفنجي vanukas gâteau de Savoie עוּגַת סְפוֹג एक तरह का व्यंजन biskvit piskóta kue bolu svampkaka (pan di Spagna) スポンジケーキ 부풋한 빵[] biskvitas biskvītkūka kek cake sukkerbrød, sitronkake biszkopt pão-de-ló prăjitură бисквит piškóta; piškótový koláč vrsta pudinga patišpanj pudding, sockerkaka แป้งฟู pandispanya 多孔布丁，松糕 бісквіт اسفنج کی طرح کا ہلکا کیک یا پڈنگ bánh xốp 多孔布丁，松糕
4 an act of wiping etc with a sponge Give the table a quick sponge over, will you? veeg مَسْح بالمِمْسَحَه измиване с гъба omytí houbou vask der Wischer σφούγγισμα pasada de esponja käsnaga pühkimine تميز كردن با ابر pyyhkiä coup d'éponge סְפִיגָה साफ करना pranje, čišćenje spužvom szivaccsal (le)törlés sekaan þurrka af með svampi (passata di spugna) スポンジでふくこと 스폰지로 닦기 šluostymas/valymas kempine/drėgnu rankšluosčiu ir pan. beršana ar sūkli menyapu dengan span afsponzing tørk, vask wytarcie gąbką lavadela a şterge cu buretele обтирание umytie špongiou čiščenje z gobo brisanje tvättning, avtorkning การเช็ดด้วยฟองน้ำ süngerle silme 用海棉擦洗(一下) обтирання губкою اسفنج سے صاف کرنے کا عمل sự lau chùi bằng bọt biển 用海棉擦洗（一下）
v
1 to wipe or clean with a sponge She sponged the child's face. afvee يَمْسَح بالإسْفنْجَه чистя с гъба umýt/utřít houbou vaske med svamp reinigen σφουγγίζω lavar con esponja käsnaga puhastama با ابر تميز كردن pestä sienellä éponger לִספּוֹג साफ करना očistiti, oprati spužvom szivaccsal (le)töröl menyeka þurrka/hreinsa með svampi pulire con una spugna スポンジでふく ...을 스폰지로 닦다[] šluostyti/plauti kempine/drėgnu rankšluosčiu ir pan. []berzt ar sūkli; []tīrīt ar sūkli mengelap dengan span afsponzen vaske/tørke med svamp wycierać gąbką limpar a şterge вытирать губкой umyť špongiou umivati (se) z gobo brisati sunđerom tvätta med en svamp เช็ดถูด้วยฟองน้ำ süngerle silmek/temizlemek 用海綿揩拭 мити губкою اسفنج سے صاف کرنا lau chùi, cọ sạch bằng bọt biển 用海绵揩拭
2 to get a living, money etc (from someone else) He's been sponging off/on us for years. leen يَعيش على حِساب فُلان живея на чужд гръб žít na účet (koho) nasse på schmarotzen ζω σε βάρος κπ., απομυζώ de gorra vivir (kellegi) kulul elama تلكه كردن elää siivellä vivre aux crochets de לְשנוֹרֵר टुकड़तोड़ी करना muktašiti, živjeti na tuđi račun potyázik minta lifa á kostnað annarra (vivere alle spalle di) たかる 빌붙다, 기식해서 살다 melžti, būti išlaikytiniu dzīvot uz cita rēķina meminta parasiteren snylte på pasożytować viver às sopas de a stoarce pe cineva de bani жить за чужой счёт žiť na účet (koho) živeti na tuj račun živeti na tuđ račun snylta เกาะคนอื่นกิน sırtından geçinmek, otlakçılık etmek 依賴他人生活 жити на чужі кошти کسی کے سر پڑ رہنا lấy được tiền, bòn rút 依赖他人生活
n sponger
a person who lives by sponging on others. lener صائِد الإسْفَنْج хрантутник příživník snylter der/die Schmarotzer(in) τρακαδόρος gorrón parasiit siivelläeläjä parasite שְנוֹרֵר टुकड़तोड़ muktaš, parazit potyázó peminta-minta afæta parassita 寄食者 기식자, 식객 parazitas, veltėdis, išlaikytinis parazīts; liekēdis peminta-minta klaploper snylter darmozjad parasita parazit нахлебник príživník prisklednik gotovan snyltare คนที่เกาะคนอื่นกิน; กาฝาก otlakçı, parazit 寄生蟲(人) паразит, нахлібник دوسروں کے بھروسے رہنے والا، ناکارہ người ăn bám 寄生虫（人）
adj spongy
soft and springy or holding water like a sponge spongy ground. sponsig إسْفَنْجي، لَيِّن гъбест houbovitý blød; svampet schwammig σπογγώδης, ελαστικός esponjoso käsnjas, poorne huokoinen spongieux סְפוֹגִי गद्देदार, नरम spužvast, porozan szivacsos seperti spons svampkenndur spugnoso スポンジのような 해면의, 흡수성이 있는 purus, akytas porains; sūklim līdzīgs bersifat span sponsachtig svampaktig, porøs gąbczasty esponjoso spongios пористый; впитывающий pórovitý; mokrý gobast sunđerast svampig เป็นรูพรุน sünger gibi 海綿狀的，有吸水性的 губчастий; пористий نرم، اسفنجی اور پانی سوکھ xốp, thấm nước 海绵状的，有吸水性的
adv spongily
sponsig بِلُيونَه еластично houbovitě blødt; svampet schwammig όπως το σφουγγάρι de manera esponjosa poorselt huokoisesti de manière spongieuse בְּספוֹגִיוּת नरमी से spužvasto, šupljikavo szivacsosan seperti spons eins og svampur (come una spugna) スポンジのように 해면같이 puriai poraini; sūklim līdzīgi berspan sponsachtig svampaktig, porøst gąbczasto como uma esponja spongios пористо pórovito gobasto; prožno sunđerasto svampigt อย่างเป็นรูพรุน sünger gibi 吸水地 губчасто; губкоподібно اسفنج کی طرح xốp, thấm nước 吸水地
n sponginess
sponsigheid لُيونَه еластичност houbovitost svampethed die Schwammigkeit σπογγώδης υφή, ελαστικότητα esponjosidad poorsus huokoisuus spongiosité סְפוֹגִיוּת गिलगिलापन, गुलगुलापन, नरमी poroznost, šupljikavost szivacsosság keadaan seperti spons það að vera svampkenndur spugnosità ふわふわ 해면질, 해면상 purumas porainība; sūklim raksturīga[] īpašība[] sifat span sponsachtigheid det å være svampaktig gąbczastość carácter esponjoso spongiozitate пористость pórovitosť poroznost sunđerastost svampighet การมีลักษณะ/คุณสมบัติคล้ายฟองน้ำ sünger gibi oluş 吸水性 губчастість; губкоподібність اسفنج کی طرح ہونے کی کیفیت sự xốp, sự thấm nước 吸水性
sponge cake, sponge pudding
(a) very light cake or pudding made from flour, eggs and sugar etc. sponskoek كَعْكَه إسْفَنْجِيَّه пандишпан piškot sukkerbrødskage der Biskuitkuchen παντεσπάνι, ελαφρό κέικ bizcocho biskviitkook, puding كيك يا دسر اسفنجي sokerikakku, vanukas gâteau de Savoie עוּגַת סְפוֹג स्पंज केक biskvit piskóta(tészta) kue bolu svampkaka (pan di Spagna) スポンジケーキ 스폰지 케이크(카스텔라의 일종) biskvitas biskvīts; biskvītkūka kuih bahulu cake sukkerbrød, sitronkake biszkopt pão-de-ló prăjitură/biscuiţi de Savoia бисквит piškóta biskvit patišpanj sockerkaka/ångkokt pudding เค้กหวานนุ่มและเบาชนิดหนึ่งที่ทำด้วยไข่ pandispanya 松糕，多孔布丁 бісквіт ہلکا کیک bánh xốp 松糕，多孔布丁
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