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throw in the sponge

 [spuhnj]   Origin

sponge

   [spuhnj] noun, verb, sponged, spong·ing.
noun
1.
any aquatic, chiefly marine animal of the phylum Porifera, having a porous structure and usually a horny, siliceous or calcareous internal skeleton or framework, occurring in large, sessile colonies.
2.
the light, yielding, porous, fibrous skeleton or framework of certain animals or colonies of this group, especially of the genera Spongia and Hippospongia, from which the living matter has been removed, characterized by readily absorbing water and becoming soft when wet while retaining toughness: used in bathing, in wiping or cleaning surfaces, etc.
3.
any of various other similar substances, often porous rubber or cellulose, used for washing or cleaning.
4.
sponge bath.
5.
a person or thing that absorbs something freely: His mind is a sponge gathering historical data.
EXPAND
6.
a person who persistently borrows from or lives at the expense of others; sponger; parasite.
7.
Informal. a drunkard.
8.
Metallurgy. a porous mass of metallic particles, as of platinum, obtained by the reduction of an oxide or purified compound at a temperature below the melting point.
9.
Surgery. a sterile surgical dressing of absorbent material, usually cotton gauze, for wiping or absorbing pus, blood, or other fluids during a surgical operation.
10.
Cookery.
a.
dough raised with yeast, especially before kneading, as for bread.
b.
a light, sweet pudding of a porous texture, made with gelatin, eggs, fruit juice or other flavoring material, etc.
11.
a disposable piece of polyurethane foam impregnated with a spermicide for insertion into the vagina as a contraceptive.
COLLAPSE
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verb (used with object)
12.
to wipe or rub with or as with a wet sponge, as to moisten or clean.
13.
to remove with or as with a wet sponge (usually followed by off, away, etc.).
14.
to wipe out or efface with or as with a sponge (often followed by out).
15.
to take up or absorb with or as with a sponge (often followed by up): to sponge up water.
16.
to borrow, use, or obtain by imposing on another's good nature, friendship, hospitality, or the like: He sponged 40 bucks from his friend and went to the city.
EXPAND
17.
Ceramics. to decorate (a ceramic object) by dabbing at it with a sponge soaked with color.
COLLAPSE

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Throw in the sponge is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used without object)
18.
to take in or soak up liquid by absorption.
19.
to gather sponges.
20.
to live at the expense of others (often followed by on or off): He came back home and sponged off his family for a while.
Idiom
21.
throw in the sponge, Informal. to concede defeat; yield; give up: The early election returns were heavily against him, but he wasn't ready to throw in the sponge.
Origin:
before 1000; (noun) Middle English, Old English < Latin spongia, spongea < Greek spongiā́; (v.) Middle English spongen to clean with a sponge, derivative of the noun

Related forms
sponge·less, adjective
sponge·like, adjective
spong·ing·ly, adverb
un·sponged, adjective

Synonyms
6. leech. 12. wash.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To throw in the sponge
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sponge
late 14c., "to soak up with a sponge," from sponge (n.). The slang sense of "to live in a parasitic manner" is attested from 1670s; sponger (n.) in this sense is from 1670s. Originally it was the victim who was known as the sponge (c.1600), since he or she was being "squeezed."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

sponge (spŭnj)
n.

  1. Any of numerous aquatic invertebrate animals of the phylum Porifera.

  2. The light, fibrous, absorbent skeleton of certain of these organisms.

  3. A piece of absorbent porous material, such as cellulose, plastic, or rubber, used especially for washing and cleaning.

  4. A gauze pad used to absorb blood and other fluids, as in surgery or in dressing a wound.

  5. A contraceptive sponge.

v. sponged, spong·ing, spong·es
To wash, moisten, or absorb with a sponge.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
sponge   (spŭnj)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Any of numerous aquatic, chiefly marine invertebrate animals of the phylum Porifera. Sponges characteristically have a porous skeleton, usually containing an intricate system of canals, that is composed of fibrous material or siliceous or calcareous spicules. Water passing through the pores brings food to the organism. Sponges live in all depths of the sea, are sessile, and often form irregularly shaped colonies attached to an underwater surface. Sponges are considered the most primitive members of the animal kingdom, since they lack a nervous system and differentiated body tissues or organs. Adults do not have moving parts, but the larvae are free-swimming. Sponges have great regenerative capacities, with some species able to regenerate a complete adult organism from fragments as small as a single cell. Sponges first appear during the early Cambrian Period and may have evolved from protozoa. Also called poriferan. See Note at regeneration.

  2. The light, fibrous, flexible, absorbent skeleton of certain of these organisms, used for bathing, cleaning, and other purposes.

  3. A piece of porous plastic, rubber, cellulose, or other material, similar in absorbency to this skeleton and used for the same purposes.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

sponge definition


and spunge
  1. in.
    to drink heavily. : She was sponging like there was no tomorrow.
  2. n.
    a drunkard; a tippler. (See also blotter.) : She was a spunge, and she wasn't going to do anything about it.
  3. n.
    a parasitic person. : Here comes that sponge, Willy. Hide your wallet, pencils, glasses, and any clothes in his size.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

throw in the towel definition


and throw in the sponge; toss in the sponge
  1. tv.
    to quit; to give up. (From boxing, where a towel or sponge thrown into the ring indicates that a boxer has given up.) : The candidate who was exposed by the press as a former pickpocket tossed in the sponge in a tearful press conference. , I'm done! I'm tossing in the sponge!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

throw in the sponge

Also, throw in the towel. Give up, acknowledge defeat, as in I can't move this rock; I'm throwing in the sponge, or Bill decided to throw in the towel and resign from his job. This idiom comes from boxing, where formerly a fighter (or his second) conceded defeat by throwing the sponge or towel used to wipe his face into the ring. [c. 1900]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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