An archaic or dialectal term meaning to sponge or absorb; to wipe or clean with a sponge.
From Old French 'esponge' (sponge), related to Latin 'spongia'. The 'e-' prefix intensifies the action, making it mean 'thoroughly sponge' or 'use a sponge on.'
This forgotten word 'eponge' shows how languages used to have specific verbs for everyday actions—we've lost the verb and now just say 'wipe with a sponge,' but once there was a single word that captured that whole action.
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