English
sponge
Pronunciation Noun

sponge

  1. (countable) Any of various marine invertebrates, mostly of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
    Synonyms: sea sponge, bath sponge, poriferan, porifer
  2. (countable) A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
    Synonyms: bath sponge
  3. (uncountable) A porous material such as sponges consist of.
  4. (informal) A heavy drinker.
    Synonyms: souse, swill-pot, Thesaurus:drunkard
  5. (countable, uncountable) A type of light cake.
    Synonyms: sponge cake
  6. (countable, uncountable, British) A type of steamed pudding.
    Synonyms: sponge 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).
    Synonyms: freeloader, sponger, Thesaurus:scrounger
  8. (countable) A form of contraception that is inserted vaginally; a contraceptive sponge.
  9. Any sponge-like substance.
    1. (baking) Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the agency of the yeast or leaven.
    2. Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
    3. Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
  10. 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.
  11. The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, corresponding to the heel.
  12. (slang) A nuclear power plant worker routinely exposed to radiation.
Translations Translations Translations
  • Russian: гу́бка
Translations Translations Verb

sponge (sponges, present participle sponging; past and past participle sponged)

  1. (intransitive, slang) To take advantage of the kindness of others.
    • The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that sponges upon other people's trenchers.
    He has been sponging off his friends for a month now.
  2. (transitive, intransitive with on or upon) To get by imposition; to scrounge.
    Synonyms: blag
    to sponge a breakfast
  3. (transitive) To deprive (somebody) of something by imposition.
    • How came such multitudes of our nation […] to be sponged of their plate and their money?
  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. (intransitive, baking) To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven.
Translations Translations
  • French: éponger
  • Russian: чи́стить губка


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