esponja

See also: esponjá

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əsˈpɔɲ.ʒə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [esˈpɔɲ.d͡ʒa]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá).

Noun

esponja f (plural esponges)

1. sponge
2. (in the plural) dishcloth gourd (Luffa acutangula)

   Synonyms: dringi de l'Índia, fregall de Cuba

Derived terms

• esponger
• espongera
• espongiforme
• espongina
• esponja de bany
• esponja vegetal
• esponjar
• esponjat
• esponjós

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

esponja

1. inflection of esponjar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “esponja”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Galician

Noun

esponja f (plural esponjas, reintegrationist norm)

1. reintegrationist spelling of esponxa

Further reading

• “esponja”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2025

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpõ.ʒɐ/, /esˈpõ.ʒɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpõ.ʒɐ/, /esˈpõ.ʒɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /iʃˈpõ.ʒɐ/, /eʃˈpõ.ʒɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /esˈpõ.ʒa/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /(i)ʃˈpõ.ʒɐ/

• Rhymes: -õʒɐ
• Hyphenation: es‧pon‧ja

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese esponsa, a semi-learned borrowing from Latin spongia, borrowed from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá), from σπόγγος (spóngos) + -ιά (-iá). Doublet of espúndia and fungo.

esponja (Spongilla lacustris) – sense 1

esponja – sense 2

Noun

esponja f (plural esponjas)

1. sponge (aquatic invertebrate of the phylum Porifera)

   Synonyms: esponja-do-mar, porífero

2. sponge (piece of porous material used for washing)
3. (figurative) sponge (heavy drinker)

Related terms

• espongina
• esponja contraceptiva
• esponja de aço
• esponja de banho
• esponja-de-água-doce
• esponja-de-raiz
• esponja-do-mar
• esponja-do-mato
• esponjar
• esponjinha
• esponjoso

Descendants

• → Hunsrik: Esponja

Further reading

• “esponja” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “esponja”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “esponja”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

esponja

1. inflection of esponjar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “esponja”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025