sponge

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] a piece of artificial or natural material that is soft and light and full of holes and can hold water easily, used for washing or cleaning: a bath sponge (= to wash your body with in the bath) * (figurative) His mind was like a sponge, ready to absorb anything. 2 [U] artificial sponge used for filling furniture, cushions, etc. 3 [C] a simple sea creature with a light body full of holes, from which natural sponge is obtained 4 [C,U] (BrE) = SPONGECAKE: a chocolate sponge verb 1 [VN] ~ sb / yourself / sth (down) to wash sb/yourself/sth with a wet cloth or SPONGE: She sponged his hot face. * Take your jacket off and I'll sponge it down with water. 2 [VN+adv./prep.] to remove sth using a wet cloth or SPONGE: We tried to sponge the blood off my shirt. 3 [V] ~ (off / on sb) (informal, disapproving) to get money, food, etc. regularly from other people without doing anything for them or offering to pay: He spent his whole life sponging off his relatives.