Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

sponge

1. sponge \'sp*nj\ n [ME, fr. OE, fr. L spongia, fr. Gk] 1a1: an elastic 
   porous mass of interlacing horny fibers that forms the inte rnal skeleton 
   of various marine animals (phylum Porifera) and is able when wetted to 
   absorb water 1a2: a piece of this material (as for scrubbing and cleaning)  
   1a3: a porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used  1b: any of a 
   phylum (Porifera) of lowly aquatic animals that are essentiall y 
   double-walled colonies and permanently attached as adults archaic  2a: 
   something that effaces or blots out existing impressions, memories, or  
   emotions obs  2b: a process or method of cancelling or wiping off 
   indebtedness without ma king payment 3: a pad (as of folded gauze) used in 
   surgery and medicine (as to remove di scharges or apply medication) 4: one 
   who lives upon others : SPONGER  5a: raised dough  5b: a whipped dessert 
   usu. containing whites of eggs or gelatin  5c: a metal (as platinum) 
   obtained in porous form usu. by reduction without  fusion {titanium ~} 5d: 
   the egg mass of a crab 
2. sponge vt 1: to cleanse, wipe, or moisten with or as if with a sponge  
   2: to erase or destroy with or as if with a sponge  3: to get by sponging 
   on another  4: to absorb with or as if with or in the manner of a sponge  
   1: to absorb, soak up, or imbibe like a sponge  2: to get something from or 
   live on another by imposing on hospitality or  good nature 3: to dive or 
   dredge for sponges  - spong.er n