sponge
n. countablen. a soft tool made of plastic or natural material that is full of small holes. It is used for washing or cleaning because it can hold a lot of water.
n. a porous, absorbent tool or material used for cleaning, bathing, or absorbing liquids. Refers both to the synthetic household item and the aquatic invertebrate from which the original material was derived.
I used a wet sponge to clean the kitchen table.
After the spill, she grabbed a large sponge to soak up the milk before it reached the carpet.
The artisan preferred using a natural sea sponge for the final glaze, as its irregular texture created a more organic finish than any synthetic alternative could provide.
From Middle English sponge, from Old English spunge, taken from Latin spongia, from Ancient Greek σπογγιά (spongiá), from σπόγγος (spóngos).
Often used metaphorically to describe a person who learns very quickly ('like a sponge').