sponge
sponge
Definition
sponge (spunj)
noun
- any of a phylum (Porifera) of simple, aquatic, sessile animals having a porous structure and a tough, often siliceous or calcareous, skeleton
- the elastic skeleton, or a piece of the skeleton, of certain sponges, light in weight and highly absorbent, used for washing surfaces, in bathing, etc.
- any substance like this; specif.,
- a piece of spongy plastic, cellulose, rubber, etc., used like natural sponge
- a pad of gauze or cotton, as used in surgery
- a light dessert made of whipped gelatin and beaten egg whites or whipped cream
- raised dough, as for bread
- any of several metals, as platinum, found in a porous mass
- a person having a spongelike capacity, as for drink, knowledge, etc.
- Informal sponger (sense )
Etymology: ME < OE < L spongia < Gr spongia, spongos
transitive verb sponged, spong′·ing
- to use a sponge on so as to dampen, wipe clean, etc.
- to remove or obliterate with or as with a damp sponge: usually with out, off, away, etc.
- to absorb with, as with, or like a sponge: often with up
- Informal to get without cost, as by begging, imposition, etc.
Etymology: ME spongen < spongethe
intransitive verb
- to gather sponges from the sea
- to take up liquid like a sponge
- Informal to be a sponger (sense ): often with off or on
throw in the sponge
or toss in the spongeInformal to admit defeat; give up: from the practice by a boxer's second of throwing a sponge into the ring to concede defeat
sponge
Synonyms
sponge
v.
sponge
Usage Examples
Object
- anemone: The drop off is over 40m but the walls are covered in sponges, anemones, soft corals and black coral.
- coral: It is an ideal food for all filter feeders such as Fan worms, sponges soft corals and many more.
Converse of object
- soak: The head is shaved an the cap has a natural sponge soaked in salt water stuck in it.
- squeeze: When you let go of the squeezed sponge, how high does it float?
Adjective modifier
- damp: Use a coarse damp sponge to gently ease the cleaning fluid across the whole area.
- wet: Clean the entire top with a wet sponge or cloth, using a circular motion.
- magic: Riley immediately dismissed him, and it was just left for Hreidarsson to receive his fix of the magic sponge before another Murphy corner.
- chocolate: Any sponge tiers can be plain, lemon, chocolate, orange sponge or carrot cake.
Modifies a noun
- spicule: These include quartz inclusions, c. 0. 1mm across and possible sponge spicules, replaced by chalcedony.
- applicator: Smooth over the upper eyelids with the sponge applicator.
- cake: Cut out 8 disks of the sponge cake using a circular cutter.
- tampon: Company: MOON TIMES ECO SANITARY PRODUCTS Products: Organic cloth pads and sponge tampons Location: Bristol, UK.
- pudding: Steamed sponge pudding topped with strawberry jam served with ice cream or custard or both.
- finger: Spoon half the mixture over the sponge fingers in the dish.
Noun used with modifier
- treacle: Bye for now Best Wishes Alan. alan coxon's baked treacle sponge anne2004 Posted 12:09pm Wed 1 Mar 2006 Hiya sorry!
- gelatin: This could be tiny plastic beads or a gelatin sponge.
- syrup: Ms Ginger Cake's meal was a great mix of Jamaican and other food and we finished with a most praiseworthy syrup sponge.
- chocolate: The secret I think is in the proper chocolate sponge cake.
- jam: Chloe shows us how to make daddy and his car in cake You will need One Swiss roll ( rolled jam sponge cake ).
- bath: L. aegyptiaca Miller ) furnishes the bath sponge known as a loofah.
sponge Quotes
Darkness falls like a wet sponge.
Browse dictionary entries near sponge
- spondylo-
- spondylitis
- spondee
- spoliation
- spoliate
- Spoleto
- spokeswoman
- spokesperson
- spokesman
- spokeshave
- sponge bath
- sponge rubber
- spongecake
- sponger
- spongeware
- spongin
- spongy
- sponsion
- sponson
- sponsor
