‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. calx, calcis, lime + spongia a sponge. ] (Zool.) An order of marine sponges, containing calcareous spicules. See Porifera. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. ke`ras, ke`ratos horn + &unr_; sponge. ] (Zool.) An order of sponges in which the skeleton consists of horny fibers. It includes all the commercial sponges. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. dis- + sponge. ] To sprinkle, as with water from a sponge. [ Poetic & Rare ] [ Written also dispunge. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

O sovereign mistress of true melancholy,
The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. fibra a fiber + spongia a sponge. ] (Zool.) An order of sponges having a fibrous skeleton, including the commercial sponges. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A siliceous sponge, of the genus Hyalonema, and allied genera; -- so called from their glassy fibers or spicules; -- called also vitreous sponge. See Glass-rope, and Euplectella. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. "y`alos glass + &unr_; a sponge.] (Zool.) An order of vitreous sponges, having glassy six-rayed, siliceous spicules; -- called also Hexactinellinæ. [1913 Webster]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; river + &unr_; a sponge. ] (Zool.) The fresh-water sponges. See Spongilla. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Silex, and Sponge. ] (Zool.) Same as Silicoidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A division of sponges including those which have independent siliceous spicules. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] An irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. esponge, F. éponge, L. spongia, Gr. spoggia`, spo`ggos. Cf. Fungus, Spunk. ] [ Formerly written also spunge. ] 1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Spongiae, or Porifera. See Illust. and Note under Spongiae. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny Spongiae (Keratosa), used for many purposes, especially the varieties of the genus Spongia. The most valuable sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: One who lives upon others; a pertinacious and indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Any spongelike substance. Specifically: (a) Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the agency of the yeast or leaven. (b) Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition. (c) Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Gun.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Far.) The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering to the heel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bath sponge, any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges, especially Spongia equina. --
Cup sponge, a toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form. --
Glass sponge. See Glass-sponge, in the Vocabulary. --
Glove sponge, a variety of commercial sponge (Spongia officinalis, variety tubulifera), having very fine fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies. --
Grass sponge, any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted, as Spongia graminea, and Spongia equina, variety cerebriformis, of Florida and the West Indies. --
Horse sponge, a coarse commercial sponge, especially Spongia equina. --
Platinum sponge. (Chem.) See under Platinum. --
Pyrotechnical sponge, a substance made of mushrooms or fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder, brought from Germany. --
Sheep's-wool sponge, a fine and durable commercial sponge (Spongia equina, variety gossypina) found in Florida and the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and smaller tufts, having the oscula between them. --
Sponge cake, a kind of sweet cake which is light and spongy. --
Sponge lead, or
Spongy lead (Chem.), metallic lead brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by compressing finely divided lead; -- used in secondary batteries and otherwise. --
Sponge tree (Bot.), a tropical leguminous tree (Acacia Farnesiana), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are used in perfumery. --
Toilet sponge, a very fine and superior variety of Mediterranean sponge (Spongia officinalis, variety Mediterranea); -- called also Turkish sponge. --
To set a sponge (Cookery), to leaven a small mass of flour, to be used in leavening a larger quantity. --
To throw up the sponge, to give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; -- from a custom of the prize ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; -- now, throw in the towel is more common, and has the same origin and meaning. [ Cant or Slang ] “He was too brave a man to throw up the sponge to fate.” Lowell. --
Vegetable sponge. (Bot.) See Loof. --
Velvet sponge, a fine, soft commercial sponge (Spongia equina, variety meandriniformis) found in Florida and the West Indies. --
Vitreous sponge. See Glass-sponge. --
Yellow sponge, a common and valuable commercial sponge (Spongia agaricina, variety corlosia) found in Florida and the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Sponged p. pr. & vb. n. Sponging ] 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 with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: To deprive of something by imposition. “How came such multitudes of our nation . . . to be sponged of their plate and their money?” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fig.: To get by imposition or mean arts without cost; as, to sponge a breakfast. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

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, that sponges upon other people's trenchers. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast, or leaven. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Spongiole. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Spongious. ] Resembling sponge; having the nature or qualities of sponge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who sponges, or uses a sponge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One employed in gathering sponges. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: A parasitical dependent; a hanger-on. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ See Sponge. ] (Zool.) The grand division of the animal kingdom which includes the sponges; -- called also Spongida, Spongiaria, Spongiozoa, and Porifera. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the Spongiae, the soft sarcode of the body is usually supported by a skeleton consisting of horny fibers, or of siliceous or calcareous spicules. The common sponges contain larger and smaller cavities and canals, and numerous small ampullae which are lined with ciliated cells capable of taking in solid food. The outer surface usually has minute pores through which water enters, and large openings for its exit. Sponges produce eggs and spermatozoa, and the egg when fertilized undergoes segmentation to form a ciliated embryo. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] Spongiae. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Resembling a sponge; soft and porous; porous. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., dim. of spongia a sponge. ] (Zool.) A genus of siliceous sponges found in fresh water. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol. Chem.) The chemical basis of sponge tissue, a nitrogenous, hornlike substance which on decomposition with sulphuric acid yields leucin and glycocoll. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being spongy. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Sponge, v. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sponging house (Eng. Law), a bailiff's or other house in which debtors are put before being taken to jail, or until they compromise with their creditors. At these houses extortionate charges are commonly made for food, lodging, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. spongiola a rose gall, small roots, dim. of spongia: cf. F. spongiole. ] (Bot.) A supposed spongelike expansion of the tip of a rootlet for absorbing water; -- called also spongelet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. spoggia` sponge + -lite. ] (Paleon.) One of the microscopic siliceous spicules which occur abundantly in the texture of sponges, and are sometimes found fossil, as in flints. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. spoggi`on, dim. of spo`ggos a sponge + pi^los felt. ] (Med.) A kind of cloth interwoven with small pieces of sponge and rendered waterproof on one side by a covering of rubber. When moistened with hot water it is used as a poultice. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. spongiosus, spongeosus: cf. F. spongieux. See Sponge. ] Somewhat spongy; spongelike; full of small cavities like sponge; as, spongious bones. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., Gr. spoggia` sponge + zw^, on an animal. ] (Zool.) See Spongiae. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. spo`ggos sponge + -blast. ] (Zool.) One of the cells which, in sponges, secrete the spongin, or the material of the horny fibers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. spo`ggos sponge + -oid. ] Resembling sponge; like sponge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Soft, and full of cavities; of an open, loose, pliable texture; as, a spongy excrescence; spongy earth; spongy cake; spongy bones. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wet; drenched; soaked and soft, like sponge; rainy. “Spongy April.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Having the quality of imbibing fluids, like a sponge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spongy lead (Chem.), sponge lead. See under Sponge. --
Spongy platinum. See under Platinum. [ 1913 Webster ]