sponge

sponge
[[t]spʌ̱nʤ[/t]]
sponges, sponging, sponged
1) N-COUNT Sponge is a very light soft substance with lots of little holes in it, which can be either artificial or natural. It is used to clean things or as a soft layer.

...a sponge mattress.

2) N-COUNT A sponge is a sea animal with a soft round body made of natural sponge.
3) N-COUNT A sponge is a piece of sponge that you use for washing yourself or for cleaning things.

He wiped off the table with a sponge.

4) VERB If you sponge something, you clean it by wiping it with a wet sponge.

[V n] Fill a bowl with water and gently sponge your face and body.

Sponge down means the same as sponge.

Also V P n (not pron) V n P If your child's temperature rises, sponge her down gently with tepid water.

5) N-VAR A sponge is a light cake or pudding made from flour, eggs, sugar, and sometimes fat.

It makes a superb filling for cakes and sponges.

6) VERB (disapproval) If you say that someone sponges off other people or sponges on them, you mean that they regularly get money from other people when they should be trying to support themselves. [INFORMAL]

[V off n] He should just get an honest job and stop sponging off the rest of us!...

[V on n] He spent his life grumbling about missed opportunities and sponging on his father for money.

Syn:
scrounge off

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
(with a sponge), / , , , , / , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sponge — (sp[u^]nj), n. [OF. esponge, F. [ e]ponge, L. spongia, Gr. spoggia , spo ggos. Cf. {Fungus}, {Spunk}.] [Formerly written also {spunge}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of Spongi[ae], or Porifera. See Illust. and Note under {Spongi[ae]} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sponge — [spunj] n. [ME < OE < L spongia < Gr spongia, spongos] 1. any of a phylum (Porifera) of simple, aquatic, sessile animals having a porous structure and a tough, often siliceous or calcareous, skeleton 2. the elastic skeleton, or a piece… …   English World dictionary

  • Sponge — Sponge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Sponged} (sp[u^]njd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Sponging} (sp[u^]n j[i^]ng).] 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. [1913 Webster] 2. To wipe out… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sponge — ► NOUN 1) an aquatic invertebrate with a soft porous body. 2) a piece of a light, absorbent substance originally consisting of the fibrous skeleton of a sponge but now usually made of synthetic material, used for washing, as padding, etc. 3) a… …   English terms dictionary

  • Sponge — Sponge, v. i. 1. To suck in, or imbibe, as a sponge. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: To gain by mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on; as, an idler sponges on his neighbor. E. Eggleston. [1913 Webster] The fly is an intruder, and a common smell feast,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sponge — Pays d’origine Detroit, Michigan, États Unis Genre musical Post grunge Années d activité 1991–aujourd hui Labels Sony, Beyond, Idol Site officiel …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sponge\ on — • sponge on • sponge off v. phr. To exploit parasitically; depend upon for support. He is already forty years old, but he refuses to go to work and sponges off his retired parents …   Словарь американских идиом

  • sponge — [n] moocher bum*, cadger, deadbeat*, freeloader*, hanger on, leech*, panhandler, parasite, scrounger; concepts 412,423 sponge [v] mooch beg, bum*, cadge, chisel*, freeload*, hit up*, hustle, live off of, panhandle, scrounge; concept 53 …   New thesaurus

  • Sponge — Sponge. См. губка. (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • sponge — index parasite Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • sponge — sponge, sponger *parasite, sycophant, favorite, toady, lickspittle, bootlicker, hanger on, leech …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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