Definition of "sponger" [spon•ger]

• One that gathers sponges. (noun)
• Informal A person who sponges on others; a parasite. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "There is a nasty sound about the word sponger, don't you think?"
• "Cowell then explained the meaning of the word sponger for American audiences as 'that means somebody who makes their money from sponging off other people.'"
• "He explained the meaning of the word sponger for the American audience: "That means somebody who makes their money by sponging off other people," he said."