spongin

[ spuhn-jin ]

/ ˈspʌn dʒɪn /

noun

a scleroprotein occurring in the form of fibers that form the skeleton of certain sponges.

Nearby words

Origin of spongin

First recorded in 1865–70; sponge + -in²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spongin

The amount of spongin present is also different in different species.
Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa|Nelson Annandale
I can't stay an' be spongin' on you folks any longer, it wouldn't be proper.
Dave Porter in the South Seas|Edward Stratemeyer
In this genus the skeleton is more or less flexible, being composed of spongin.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
You better hustle ahead with your spongin' off; I'm just about through here!
The Deserter, and Other Stories|Harold Frederic

The consistency of a sponge depends on two factors—the number of spicules present, and the amount of spongin.
Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa|Nelson Annandale

British Dictionary definitions for spongin

spongin

/ (ˈspʌndʒɪn) /

noun

a fibrous horny protein that forms the skeletal framework of the bath sponge and related sponges

Word Origin for spongin

C19: from German, from Latin spongia sponge + -in

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012