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Webster 1913 Edition

Sponge

Sponge

(spŭnj)
,
Noun.
[OF.
esponge
, F.
éponge
, L.
spongia
, Gr.
σπογγιά
,
σπόγγος
. Cf.
Fungus
,
Spunk
.]
[Formerly written also
spunge
.]
1.
(Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of Spongiae, or Porifera. See Illust. and Note under
Spongiae
.
2.
The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny Spongiae (Keratosa), used for many purposes, especially the varieties of the genus
Spongia
. The most valuable sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies.
3.
Fig.:
One who lives upon others; a pertinacious and indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger.
4.
Any spongelike substance.
Specifically:
(a)
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.
(b)
Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
(c)
Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
5.
(Gun.)
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.
6.
(Far.)
The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering to the heel.
Bath sponge
,
any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges, especially
Spongia equina
.
–
Cup sponge
,
a toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form.
–
Glass sponge
.
See
Glass-sponge
, in the Vocabulary.
–
Glove sponge
,
a variety of commercial sponge (
Spongia officinalis
, variety
tubulifera
), having very fine fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies.
–
Grass sponge
,
any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted, as
Spongia graminea
, and
Spongia equina
, variety
cerebriformis
, of Florida and the West Indies.
–
Horse sponge
,
a coarse commercial sponge, especially
Spongia equina
.
–
Platinum sponge
.
(Chem.)
See under
Platinum
.
–
Pyrotechnical sponge
,
a substance made of mushrooms or fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder, brought from Germany.
–
Sheep’s-wool sponge
,
a fine and durable commercial sponge (
Spongia equina
, variety
gossypina
) found in Florida and the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and smaller tufts, having the oscula between them.
–
Sponge cake
,
a kind of sweet cake which is light and spongy.
–
Sponge lead
, or
Spongy lead
(Chem.)
,
metallic lead brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by compressing finely divided lead; – used in secondary batteries and otherwise.
–
Sponge tree
(Bot.)
,
a tropical leguminous tree (
Acacia Farnesiana
), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are used in perfumery.
–
Toilet sponge
,
a very fine and superior variety of Mediterranean sponge (
Spongia officinalis
, variety
Mediterranea
); – called also
Turkish sponge
.
–
To set a sponge
(Cookery)
,
to leaven a small mass of flour, to be used in leavening a larger quantity.
–
To throw up the sponge
,
to give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; – from a custom of the prize ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; – now,
throw in the towel
is more common, and has the same origin and meaning.
[Cant or Slang]
“He was too brave a man to throw up the sponge to fate.”
Lowell.
–
Vegetable sponge
.
(Bot.)
See
Loof
.
–
Velvet sponge
,
a fine, soft commercial sponge (
Spongia equina
, variety
meandriniformis
) found in Florida and the West Indies.
–
Vitreous sponge
.
See
Glass-sponge
.
–
Yellow sponge
,
a common and valuable commercial sponge (
Spongia agaricina
, variety
corlosia
) found in Florida and the West Indies.

Sponge

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sponged
(spŭnjd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sponging
(spŭn′jĭng)
.]
1.
To cleanse or wipe with a sponge;
as, to
sponge
a slate or a cannon
; to wet with a sponge;
as, to
sponge
cloth
.
2.
To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.
Hooker.
3.
Fig.: To deprive of something by imposition.
“How came such multitudes of our nation . . . to be sponged of their plate and their money?”
South.
4.
Fig.: To get by imposition or mean arts without cost;
as, to
sponge
a breakfast
.
Swift.

Sponge

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To suck in, or imbibe, as a sponge.
2.
Fig.: To gain by mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on;
as, an idler
sponges
on his neighbor
.
E. Eggleston.
The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that
sponges
upon other people's trenchers.
L'Estrange.
3.
To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast, or leaven.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sponge

SPONGE.

[See Spunge.]

Definition 2024

sponge

sponge

English

Noun

sponge ‎(countable and uncountable, plural sponges)

A marine sponge can be used as a washing sponge
  1. (countable) Any of various marine invertebrates, mostly of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
  2. (countable) A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
    • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
      She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination. The elder woman returned with dressings and a sponge, which she placed on a chair.
  3. (uncountable) A porous material such as sponges consist of.
  4. (informal) A heavy drinker.
  5. (countable, uncountable) A type of light cake; sponge cake.
  6. (countable, uncountable, Britain) A type of steamed 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).
  8. (countable) A form of contraception that is inserted vaginally; a contraceptive sponge.
  9. Any spongelike substance.
    1. 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, answering to the heel.

Synonyms

Derived terms

See also

Translations

Verb

sponge ‎(third-person singular simple present sponges, present participle sponging, simple past and past participle sponged)

  1. (intransitive, slang) To take advantage of the kindness of others.
    • L'Estrange
      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) To get by imposition; to scrounge.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 13, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      “[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.
      (Can we find and add a quotation of Jonathan Swift to this entry?)
    to sponge a breakfast‎
  3. (transitive) To deprive (somebody) of something by imposition.
    • South
      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.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hooker to this entry?)
  7. (intransitive) To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven.

Synonyms

Translations

Etymology

From Old English spunge, from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά ‎(spongiá), related to σπόγγος ‎(spóngos).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: spŭnj, IPA(key): /spʌndʒ/
  • Rhymes: -ʌndʒ

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