sponge

UK: /ˈspʌndʒ/ US: /spʌndʒ/ ,(spunj)

Inflections of 'sponge' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

sponges

v 3rd person singular

sponging

v pres p

sponged

v past

sponged

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sponge /spʌndʒ/   n., v., sponged, spong•ing. 
n. 

1. Invertebrates [countable] a stationary sea creature that has a rubbery fibrous frame full of holes.
2. [countable] the skeleton of certain of these creatures that easily absorbs water and becomes soft when wet.
3. a piece of any of various absorbent materials, such as rubber or cellulose, that are soft when wet:
   [countable] He used a sponge to wipe up the spilled soda.
   [uncountable] cushions of sponge filling.
4. a person or thing that absorbs something freely or easily:
   [countable] The student sat at the teacher's side, a sponge absorbing everything she said.
5. [countable] one who lives at the expense of others;
   sponger.

v. 

6. to wipe or rub with or as if with a wet sponge: [~ (+ off/down ) + object]
   I'll sponge (off) the countertop with some cleanser.
   [~ + object +(off/down) ]
   I'll sponge the countertop (down).
7. to take up or absorb with or as if with a sponge: [~ (+ up)  + object]
   I'll sponge (up) the milk she spilled on the floor.
   [~ + object (+ up ) ]
   He sponged the milk (up).
8. to get (something) by imposing on another's good nature: [~ + object]
   He sponged a few meals from them and moved on.
   [~ + off + object]
   He sponged off his relatives for a few months before he finally got a job.

spong•er, n. [countable]
spong•y, adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sponge  (spunj), n., v., sponged, spong•ing. 
n. 

1. Invertebrates any aquatic, chiefly marine animal of the phylum Porifera, having a porous structure and usually a horny, siliceous or calcareous internal skeleton or framework, occurring in large, sessile colonies.
2. the light, yielding, porous, fibrous skeleton or framework of certain animals or colonies of this group, esp. of the genera Spongia and Hippospongia, from which the living matter has been removed, characterized by readily absorbing water and becoming soft when wet while retaining toughness: used in bathing, in wiping or cleaning surfaces, etc.
3. any of various other similar substances, often porous rubber or cellulose, used for washing or cleaning.
4. See sponge bath. 
5. a person or thing that absorbs something freely:
   His mind is a sponge gathering historical data.
6. a person who persistently borrows from or lives at the expense of others;
   sponger;
   parasite.
7. Informal Terms a drunkard.
8. Metallurgy a porous mass of metallic particles, as of platinum, obtained by the reduction of an oxide or purified compound at a temperature below the melting point.
9. Surgery a sterile surgical dressing of absorbent material, usually cotton gauze, for wiping or absorbing pus, blood, or other fluids during a surgical operation.
10. Food [Cookery.]
    • dough raised with yeast, esp. before kneading, as for bread.
    • a light, sweet pudding of a porous texture, made with gelatin, eggs, fruit juice or other flavoring material, etc.
11. Medicine a disposable piece of polyurethane foam impregnated with a spermicide for insertion into the vagina as a contraceptive.
12. Informal Terms throw in the sponge, to concede defeat;
    yield;
    give up:
    The early election returns were heavily against him, but he wasn't ready to throw in the sponge.

v.t. 

13. to wipe or rub with or as with a wet sponge, as to moisten or clean.
14. to remove with or as with a wet sponge (usually fol. by off, away, etc.).
15. to wipe out or efface with or as with a sponge (often fol. by out).
16. to take up or absorb with or as with a sponge (often fol. by up):
    to sponge up water.
17. to borrow, use, or obtain by imposing on another's good nature, friendship, hospitality, or the like:
    He sponged 40 bucks from his friend and went to the city.
18. Ceramics to decorate (a ceramic object) by dabbing at it with a sponge soaked with color.

v.i. 

19. to take in or soak up liquid by absorption.
20. to gather sponges.
21. to live at the expense of others (often fol. by on or off):
    He came back home and sponged off his family for a while.

• Greek spongiá̄; (verb, verbal) Middle English spongen to clean with a sponge, derivative of the noun, nominal
• Latin spongia, spongea
• (noun, nominal) Middle English, Old English bef. 1000

sponge′less, adj. 
sponge′like′, adj. 
spong′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 6. leech.
• 13. wash.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sponge / spʌndʒ/ noun

1. any multicellular typically marine animal of the phylum Porifera, usually occurring in complex sessile colonies in which the porous body is supported by a fibrous, calcareous, or siliceous skeletal framework
2. a piece of the light porous highly absorbent elastic skeleton of certain sponges, used in bathing, cleaning, etc
3. any of a number of light porous elastic materials resembling a sponge
4. another word for sponger1
5. a person who indulges in heavy drinking
6. leavened dough, esp before kneading
7. short for sponge cake
8. Also called: sponge pudding a light steamed or baked pudding, spongy in texture, made with various flavourings or fruit
9. porous metal produced by electrolysis or by reducing a metal compound without fusion or sintering and capable of absorbing large quantities of gas: platinum sponge
10. a rub with a sponge
11. throw in the sponge ⇒
    See throw in4

verb

1. (tr; often followed by off or down) to clean (something) by wiping or rubbing with a damp or wet sponge
2. (tr; usually followed by off, away, out, etc) to remove (marks, etc) by rubbing with a damp or wet sponge or cloth
3. when tr, often followed by up: to absorb (liquids, esp when spilt) in the manner of a sponge
4. (transitive) often followed by off: to get (something) from (someone) by presuming on his or her generosity
5. (intr; often followed by off or on) to obtain one's subsistence, welfare, etc, unjustifiably (from): he sponges off his friends
6. (intransitive) to go collecting sponges

Etymology: Old English, from Latin spongia, from Greek

ˈspongeˌlike adjective