A porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used.

Roget 959: drunkenness etc. adj.; intemperance; drinking etc. v.; inebriety^†, inebriation; ebriety^†, ebriosity^†; insobriety; intoxication; temulency^†, bibacity^†, wine bibbing; comtation^†, potation; deep potations, bacchanals, bacchanalia, libations; bender [U.S.].    oinomania^†, dipsomania; delirium tremens; alcohol, alcoholism; mania a potu [Fr.].    drink; alcoholic drinks; blue ruin [Slang], grog, port wine; punch, punch bowl; cup, rosy wine, flowing bowl; drop, drop too much; dram; beer etc. (beverage) 298; aguardiente^†; apple brandy, applejack; brandy, brandy smash [U.S.]; chain lightning [Slang], champagne, cocktail; gin, ginsling^†; highball [U.S.], peg, rum, rye, schnapps [U.S.], sherry, sling [U.S.], uisquebaugh [Ire.], usquebaugh [Scot.], whisky, xeres^†.    drunkard, sot, toper, tippler, bibber^†, wine-bibber, lush; hard drinker, gin drinker, dram drinker; soaker [Slang], sponge, tun; love pot, toss pot; thirsty soul, reveler, carouser, Bacchanal, Bacchanalian; Bacchal^†, Bacchante^†; devotee to Bacchus^†; bum [U.S.], guzzler, tavern haunter.    ... show more

Roget 252a: sponge, honeycomb, network; frit [Chem], filter.    sieve, net, screen (opening) 260.   

Roget 652: cleanness, cleanliness etc. adj.; purity; cleaning etc. v.; purification, defecation etc. v.; purgation, lustration^†; detersion^†, abstersion^†; epuration^†, mundation^†; ablution, lavation^†, colature^†; disinfection etc. v.; drainage, sewerage.    lavatory, laundry, washhouse^†; washerwoman, laundress, dhobi^†, laundryman, washerman^†; scavenger, dustman^†, sweep; white wings brush [U.S.]; broom, besom^†, mop, rake, shovel, sieve, riddle, screen, filter; blotter.    napkin, cloth, maukin^†, malkin^†, handkerchief, towel, sudary^†; doyley^†, doily, duster, sponge, mop, swab.    cover, drugget^†.    wash, lotion, detergent, cathartic, purgative; purifier etc. v.; disinfectant; aperient^†; benzene, benzine benzol, benolin^†; bleaching powder, chloride of lime, dentifrice, deobstruent^†, laxative.    ... show more

Dutch: spons
Polish: gąbka

Someone able to acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly and easily:
— She soaks up foreign languages like a sponge.

synonym: quick study.

A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage.

synonyms: leech, parasite, sponger.

Dutch: bietser, klaploper, parasiet, uitvreter
Polish: pijawka, krwiopijca

Primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies.

synonyms: parazoan, poriferan.

Dutch: sponzen, spons
Polish: gąbka

Wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten.

Roget 652: be clean, render clean etc. adj.; clean, cleanse; mundify^†, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up.    wash, lave, launder, buck; absterge^†, deterge^†; decrassify^†; clear, purify; depurate^†, despumate^†, defecate; purge, expurgate, elutriate [Chem], lixiviate^†, edulcorate^†, clarify, refine, rack; filter, filtrate; drain, strain.    disinfect, fumigate, ventilate, deodorize; whitewash; castrate, emasculate.    sift, winnow, pick, weed, comb, rake, brush, sweep.    rout out, clear out, sweep out &c.; make a clean sweep of.    ... show more

Roget 886: cringe, bow, stoop, kneel, bend the knee; fall on one's knees, prostrate oneself; worship etc. 990.    sneak, crawl, crouch, cower, sponge, truckle to, grovel, fawn, lick the feet of, kiss the hem of one's garment, kiss one's ass [Vulg.], suck up.    pay court to; feed on, fatten on, dance attendance on, pin oneself upon, hang on the sleeve of, avaler les couleuvres [Fr.], keep time to, fetch and carry, do the dirty work of.    go with the stream, worship the rising sun, hold with the hare and run with the hounds.    ... show more

Roget 791: steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim^†, crib, cabbage, palm; abstract; appropriate, plagiarize.    convey away, carry off, abduct, kidnap, crimp; make off with, walk off with, run off with; run away with; spirit away, seize etc. (lay violent hands on) 789.    plunder, pillage, rifle, sack, loot, ransack, spoil, spoliate^†, despoil, strip, sweep, gut, forage, levy blackmail, pirate, pickeer^†, maraud, lift cattle, poach; smuggle, run; badger [Slang]; bail up, hold up, stick up; bunco, bunko, filibuster.    swindle, peculate, embezzle; sponge, mulct, rook, bilk, pluck, pigeon, fleece; defraud etc. 545; obtain under false pretenses; live by one's wits.    rob Peter to pay Paul, borrow of Peter to pay Paul; set a thief to catch a thief.    disregard the distinction between meum and disregard the distinction between meum and tuum [Lat.].    [receive stolen goods] fence, launder, launder money.    ... show more

Roget 340: be dry etc. adj.. render dry etc. adj.; dry; dry up, soak up; sponge, swab, wipe; drain.    desiccate, dehydrate, exsiccate^†; parch.    kiln dry; vacuum dry, blow dry, oven dry; hang out to dry.    mummify.    be fine, hold up.    ... show more

Roget 339: moisten, wet; humect^†, humectate^†; sponge, damp, bedew; imbue, imbrue, infiltrate, saturate; soak, drench etc. (water) 337.    be moist etc. adj.; not have a dry thread; perspire etc. (exude) 295.    ... show more

Ask for and get free; be a parasite.

synonyms: bum, cadge, grub, mooch.

Dutch: bedelen, bietsen, schooien, schooieren

Erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard.

Soak up with a sponge.

Gather sponges, in the ocean.