sponge
/spʌnd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.59 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of various marine invertebrates of the phylum Porifera, that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
Countable
noun
A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
Countable
noun
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).
Countable; Slang; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination. The elder woman returned with dressings and a sponge, which she placed on a chair."
- "After six hours of work I got this amazing sponge with fresh strawberries, crème fraîche, crème chantilly, custard, crumble and meringues, something quite rich and outstanding."
- "For this reason, we need to think of our children as sponges of information and watch their sources carefully. We also need to always model appropriate behaviour, as we are a constant source of new information."
- "The great guns ranged along the deck — each bound fast by its new breechings — with their linstocks and sponges and ladles and rammers, made no idle show of warlike strength."
- "The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that spunges upon other Peoples Trenchers."
- "You can’t go on spunging upon the women."
Etymology
From Middle English sponge, from Old English spunge, taken from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá), from σπόγγος (spóngos). Displaced native Old English swamm (“fungus, sponge”).