| Noun | 1. | sponge - a porous mass of interlacing fibers the forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used | |
| 2. | sponge - someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily; "she soaks up foreign languages like a sponge" | |
| 3. | sponge - a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantagefollower - an ordinary person who accepts the leadership of another | |
| 4. | sponge - primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile coloniesinvertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification glass sponge - a siliceous sponge (with glassy spicules) of the class Hyalospongiae | |
| Verb | 1. | sponge - wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moistenwipe, pass over - rub with a circular motion; "wipe the blackboard" | |
| 2. | sponge - ask for and get free; be a parasiteobtain - come into possession of; "How did you obtain the visa?" freeload - live off somebody's generosity; "This young man refuses to work and is freeloading" | |
| 3. | sponge - erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard | |
| 4. | sponge - soak up with a spongemop, mop up, wipe up - to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop; "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel" | |
| 5. | sponge - gather sponges, in the ocean | |