spongiform
Americanadjective
adjective
-
resembling a sponge in appearance, esp in having many holes
-
denoting diseases characterized by this appearance of affected tissues
Etymology
Origin of spongiform
First recorded in 1815–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
South Korea, which is the world’s top importer of American beef, currently bans beef from cattle that are older than 30 months on concerns it may introduce bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025
The findings, which have been published by The Journal of Comparative Neurology, offer a compelling new explanation for commonly described brain pathologies observed in Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles, and spongiform abnormalities.
From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024
Formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, the disease first broke out in the late 1980s among cattle in Britain.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2023
Officials with Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry said the cases were not related to beef consumption, tamping down fears of possible bovine spongiform encephalopathy causing human illness.
From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2021
Vesiculated bread is now the only article of diet made from flour to which the term bread is applied, and there are various ways of producing the spongiform texture by which it is characterized.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
