Sponge vs Bum - What's the difference?
sponge | bum |
(countable) Any of various marine invertebrates, mostly of the phylum Porifera , that have a porous skeleton often of silica.
(countable) A piece of porous material used for washing (originally made from the invertebrates, now often made of plastic).
* {{quote-book, year=1913, author=
, title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad
, chapter=5 (uncountable) A porous material such as sponges consist of.
(informal) A heavy drinker.
(countable, uncountable) A type of light cake; sponge cake.
(countable, uncountable, British) A type of steamed pudding.
(slang) A person who takes advantage of the generosity of others (abstractly imagined to absorb or soak up the money or efforts of others like a sponge).
(countable) A form of contraception that is inserted vaginally; a .
Any spongelike substance.
# Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the agency of the yeast or leaven.
# Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
# Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.
The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering to the heel.
(slang) To take advantage of the kindness of others.
* L'Estrange
To get by imposition; to scrounge.
* , chapter=13
, title= To deprive (somebody) of something by imposition.
* South
To clean, soak up, or dab with a sponge.
To suck in, or imbibe, like a sponge.
To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.
To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven.
The buttocks.
(UK, Irish, AU, New Zealand, informal, rare, Canada, US) The anus.
(by metonymy, informal) A person.
(UK, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.
(label) An expression of annoyance.
* 2010 , Jill Mansell,
(North America, colloquial) A hobo; a homeless person, usually a man.
(North America, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
* 1987 , (The Pogues) - (Fairytale of New York)
(North America, Australia, colloquial, sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.
* 2001 , (Laura Hillenbrand) -
(colloquial) A drinking spree.
(colloquial) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
(colloquial) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter.
(transitive, slang, British) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
Unfair.
Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
Unpleasant.
To depress; to make unhappy.
To make a murmuring or humming sound.
(obsolete) A bumbailiff.
* 1705 , (Bernard Mandeville), The Fable of the Bees :
In lang=en terms the difference between sponge and bum
is that sponge is to be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the agency of yeast or leaven while bum is to make a murmuring or humming sound.As nouns the difference between sponge and bum
is that sponge is (countable) any of various marine invertebrates, mostly of the phylum porifera , that have a porous skeleton often of silica while bum is the buttocks or bum can be (north america|colloquial) a hobo; a homeless person, usually a man or bum can be (dated) a humming noise or bum can be (obsolete) a bumbailiff.As verbs the difference between sponge and bum
is that sponge is (slang) to take advantage of the kindness of others while bum is (uk|transitive|colloquial) to sodomize; to engage in anal sex or bum can be (colloquial) to ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something or bum can be to depress; to make unhappy or bum can be to make a murmuring or humming sound.As an interjection bum is
(label) an expression of annoyance.As an adjective bum is
of poor quality or highly undesirable .sponge
English
("sponge" on Wikipedia)Noun
citation, passage=She removed Stranleigh’s coat with a dexterity that aroused his imagination. The elder woman returned with dressings and a sponge , which she placed on a chair.}}
Synonyms
* (marine invertebrate) sea sponge, bath sponge, poriferan, porifer * (piece of porous material used for washing) bath sponge * (light cake) sponge cake * (type of steamed pudding) sponge pudding * (person) freeloader, spongerDerived terms
* breadcrumb sponge * demosponge * sea sponge * spongey * sponge bath * sponge cakeSee also
* foamVerb
(spong)- The fly is an intruder, and a common smell-feast, that sponges upon other people's trenchers.
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.}}
- (Jonathan Swift)
- How came such multitudes of our nation to be sponged of their plate and their money?
- (Hooker)
Synonyms
* blagbum
English
Etymology 1
1387,Noun
(en noun)- Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
Quotations
* (English Citations of "bum")Usage notes
* In the United States and Canada, bum'' is considered the most appropriate term when speaking to young children, as in ''Everyone please sit on your bum and we'll read a story.'' For older children and teenagers, especially males, as well as adults, the term (butt) is the most common term except in professional contexts such as medical, legal, and scientific where (buttocks) is generally used or (gluteus maximus), (gluteus medius), etc. for the muscles specifically. ''Glutes]]'' is often used in sports medicine and bodybuilding. ''Ass'' (US derivation of Old English ''[[arse, arse ) is considered somewhat vulgar in North America, whereas (backside), (behind), and (bottom) are considered to be old-fashioned and non-specific terms.Synonyms
* (buttocks or anus) arse , ass (North America), backside, behind, bottom, bum (North America), butt (North America), heinie (North America), fanny (North America), tush (North America), tushie (North America) ** (buttocks specifically) butt cheeks (North America), buttocks (technical), cheeks, glutes (muscles), gluteus maximus (primary muscles) ** (anus specifically) anus (technical), arsehole , asshole (North America) * See alsoVerb
(bumm)Interjection
(en-interjection)Sheer Mischief:
- Maxine tried hers. 'Oh bum ,' she said crossly. 'The sugar isn't sugar. It's salt.'
Derived terms
* bum bum * bumhole * bums in seats *Etymology 2
1864,Noun
(en noun)- ''Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.
- That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.
- That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
- You're a bum
- You're a punk
- You're an old slut on junk
- Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
- Trade him to another team, he's a bum !
- Seabiscuit, wrote another reporter, “was a hero in California and a pretty fair sort of horse in the midwest. In the east, however, he was just a ‘bum ’”
Synonyms
* (hobo) hobo, homeless person, tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond * (lazy person) loafer, bumpkin, footler, idler, lout, yob, yobbo, layabout * (drinking spree) binge, bender * See also * See alsoVerb
(bumm)- Can I bum a cigarette off you?
- I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
Synonyms
* cadge (British)Adjective
(bummer)- bum note
- bum deal
- I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
- He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
Quotations
* (English Citations of "bum")Synonyms
* (defective) duff (UK)Derived terms
* bum around * bum bailiff * bum rap * bum's rush * on the bumEtymology 3
Verb
(bumm)References
*Etymology 4
See boom.Verb
(bumm)- (Jamieson)
Etymology 5
Abbreviations.Noun
(en noun)- About her Chariot, and behind, / Were Sergeants, Bums of every kind, / Tip-staffs, and all those Officers, / That squeeze a Living out of Tears.
