SPONGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sponge mean? 

• SPONGE (noun)
  The noun SPONGE has 4 senses:

1. 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 used

2. someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily

3. a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage

4. primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies

  Familiarity information: SPONGE used as a noun is uncommon.

• SPONGE (verb)
  The verb SPONGE has 5 senses:

1. wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten

2. ask for and get free; be a parasite

3. erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard

4. soak up with a sponge

5. gather sponges, in the ocean

  Familiarity information: SPONGE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPONGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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 used

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("sponge" is a kind of...):

absorbent; absorbent material (a material having capacity or tendency to absorb another substance)

Derivation:

sponge (gather sponges, in the ocean)

sponge (wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten)

sponge (soak up with a sponge)

sponge (erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard)

spongy (like a sponge in being able to absorb liquids and yield it back when compressed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

quick study; sponge

Context example:

she soaks up foreign languages like a sponge

Hypernyms ("sponge" is a kind of...):

assimilator; learner; scholar (someone (especially a child) who learns (as from a teacher) or takes up knowledge or beliefs)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

leech; parasite; sponge; sponger

Hypernyms ("sponge" is a kind of...):

follower (a person who accepts the leadership of another)

Derivation:

sponge (ask for and get free; be a parasite)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

parazoan; poriferan; sponge

Hypernyms ("sponge" is a kind of...):

invertebrate (any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sponge"):

glass sponge (a siliceous sponge (with glassy spicules) of the class Hyalospongiae)

Holonyms ("sponge" is a member of...):

phylum Porifera; Porifera (coextensive with the subkingdom Parazoa: sponges)

Derivation:

sponge (gather sponges, in the ocean)

spongy (easily squashed; resembling a sponge in having soft porous texture and compressibility)

• SPONGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they sponge    ... he / she / it sponges   
Past simple: sponged   
Past participle: sponged   
-ing form: sponging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sponge" is one way to...):

pass over; wipe (rub with a circular motion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

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 used)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ask for and get free; be a parasite

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bum; cadge; grub; mooch; sponge

Hypernyms (to "sponge" is one way to...):

obtain (come into possession of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sponge"):

freeload (live off somebody's generosity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

sponge; sponger (a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sponge" is one way to...):

efface; erase; rub out; score out; wipe off (remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

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 used)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Soak up with a sponge

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sponge" is one way to...):

mop; mop up; wipe up (to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

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 used)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Gather sponges, in the ocean

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sponge" is one way to...):

collect; garner; gather; pull together (assemble or get together)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

In the summer they like to go out and sponge

Derivation:

sponge (primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies)

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 used)

sponger (a workman employed to collect sponges)

 Context examples 

Mutation of the gene is associated with white sponge nevus.

(KRT13 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

A complex macrolide polyether from marine sponge genera, such as Halichondria, Axinella, Phakellia, and Lissodendoryx that binds to tubulin, thereby inhibiting mitosis.

(Halichondrin B, NCI Thesaurus)

The mesylate salt of a synthetic analogue of halichondrin B, a substance derived from a marine sponge (Lissodendoryx sp.) with antineoplastic activity.

(Eribulin mesylate, NCI Thesaurus)

For the rest, there is nothing which a sponge may not cure.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They then isolated the various components in the complex mixture of organisms from the sponge's tissues to identify the specific genes and enzymes that code for the production of PBDEs.

(Bacteria living in marine sponge produce toxic compounds found in man-made products, NSF)

We stopped at the Greyhound, at Croydon, where the two good little mares were sponged and petted and fed, after which, at an easier pace, we made our way through Norbury and Streatham.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A compound isolated from the marine sponge Pseudaxinyssa cantharella exhibiting anti-tumor activity.

(Girodazole, NCI Thesaurus)

Mr. Rochester put the now bloody sponge into my hand, and I proceeded to use it as he had done.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

An analogue of halichondrin B, a substance derived from a marine sponge (Lissodendoryx sp.) with antineoplastic activity.

(Eribulin, NCI Thesaurus)

A cancer vaccine comprised of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with the marine sponge glycolipid alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) with potential immunostimulatory and antimetastatic activities.

(Alpha-Galactosylceramide-Pulsed Autologous Dendritic Cells, NCI Thesaurus)