sponge

[spʌnd͡ʒ]

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A sponge is a kitchen tool or object that soaks up liquid and water. It's usually made from natural materials like sea sponges or synthetic ones.

You might use a sponge to clean up spills on your floor or countertop. Many people also use them for washing dishes, wiping down tables, or even exfoliating their skin in the shower. You can squeeze out the excess water and wring it out to get rid of some of the moisture. Some sponges have built-in scrubbers or other features that help with specific tasks.

How common is "sponge"?

Word sponge is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

Any of various marine invertebrates, mostly of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
A porous material such as sponges consist of.
A heavy drinker.
A type of light cake.
A type of steamed pudding.
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).
A form of contraception that is inserted vaginally; a contraceptive sponge.
Any sponge-like substance.
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.
The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, corresponding to the heel.
A nuclear power plant worker routinely exposed to radiation.

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verb

To take advantage of the kindness of others.
Example: He has been sponging off his friends for a month now.
To get by imposition; to scrounge.
Example: to sponge a breakfast
To deprive (somebody) of something by imposition.
To clean, soak up, or dab with a sponge.
To suck in, or imbibe, like a sponge.
To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.
To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven.

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Real examples of "sponge" in context

A Bidding War Breaks Out During Scrub Daddy's Pitch | Shark Tank US | Shark Tank Global

Entertainment

and that's like a sponge.

0:51

You are dead to me and the sponge is dead.

11:34