Word Study
spongy
CIDE DICTIONARY
spongy, a.
- Soft, and full of cavities; of an open, loose, pliable texture; as, a spongy excrescence; spongy earth; spongy cake; spongy bones. [1913 Webster]
- Wet; drenched; soaked and soft, like sponge; rainy. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Having the quality of imbibing fluids, like a sponge. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
spongy, adj. (spongier, spongiest)
1 like a sponge, esp. in being porous, compressible, elastic, or absorbent.
2 (of metal) finely divided and loosely coherent.
1 like a sponge, esp. in being porous, compressible, elastic, or absorbent.
2 (of metal) finely divided and loosely coherent.
Derivative
spongily adv. sponginess n.
THESAURUS
spongy
absorbent, adsorbent, assimilative, baccate, bibulous, blotting, chemisorptive, chemosorptive, cribriform, digestive, doughy, edematous, endosmotic, exosmotic, flabby, fleshy, imbibitory, leachy, macerated, masticated, medullary, mushy, osmotic, pappy, pasty, percolating, pithy, porose, porous, pulpal, pulpar, pulped, pulplike, pulpy, puppy, quaggy, resorbent, sievelike, soaking, soft, sorbent, spongelike, spongeous, squashy, squelchy, squishy, succulent, thirsty, yieldingROGET THESAURUS
spongy
Sponge
N sponge, honeycomb, network, frit, filter, sieve, net, screen (opening), cellular, spongy, spongious, honeycombed, alveolar, sintered, porous (opening).Rarity
N rarity, tenuity, absence of solidity, subtility, subtilty, subtlety, sponginess, compressibility, rarefaction, expansion, dilatation, inflation, subtilization, vaporization, evaporation, diffusion, gassification, ether, rare, subtile, thin, fine, tenuous, compressible, flimsy, slight, light, cavernous, spongy, rarefied, unsubstantial, uncompact, incompressed, rarefiable.Softness
N softness, pliableness, flexibility, pliancy, pliability, sequacity, malleability, ductility, tractility, extendibility, extensibility, plasticity, inelasticity, flaccidity, laxity, penetrability, clay, wax, butter, dough, pudding, alumina, argil, cushion, pillow, feather bed, down, padding, wadding, foam, mollification, softening, soft, tender, supple, pliant, pliable, flexible, flexile, lithe, lithesome, lissom, limber, plastic, ductile, tractile, tractable, malleable, extensile, sequacious, inelastic, aluminous, remollient, yielding, flabby, limp, flimsy, doughy, spongy, penetrable, foamy, cushiony, flaccid, flocculent, downy, edematous, oedematous, medullary, argillaceous, mellow, soft as butter, soft as down, soft as silk, yielding as wax, tender as chicken.For further exploring for "spongy" in Webster Dictionary Online