Soft, porous marine animals or synthetic materials with tiny holes that soak up liquids.
From Greek 'spongos,' which referred to the sea creature; the word entered English through Latin. The synthetic meaning came much later as man-made materials mimicked the natural sponge's absorbent properties.
Sea sponges are technically animals, not plants, and they've been on Earth for over 600 million years—way before dinosaurs—filtering water and creating oxygen, making them some of the most underrated heroes of ocean ecosystems.
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