What is "gossypina"

Sponge \Sponge\ (sp[u^]nj), n. [OF. esponge, F. ['e]ponge, L. spongia, Gr. spoggia`, spo`ggos. Cf. Fungus, Spunk.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of Spongi[ae], or Porifera. See Illust. and Note under Spongi[ae].

2. The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny Spongi[ae] (Keratosa), used for many purposes, especially the varieties of the genus Spongia. The most valuable sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies.

3. Fig.: One who lives upon others; a pertinacious and indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger.

4. Any spongelike substance. Specifically:

   1. 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.

   2. Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.

   3. Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.

5. (Gun.) 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.

6. (Far.) The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering to the heel.

   Bath sponge, any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges, especially Spongia equina.

   Cup sponge, a toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form.

   Glass sponge. See Glass-sponge, in the Vocabulary.

   Glove sponge, a variety of commercial sponge ( Spongia officinalis, variety tubulifera), having very fine fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies.

   Grass sponge, any one of several varieties of coarse commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted, as Spongia graminea, and S. equina, variety cerebriformis, of Florida and the West Indies.

   Horse sponge, a coarse commercial sponge, especially Spongia equina.

   Platinum sponge. (Chem.) See under Platinum.

   Pyrotechnical sponge, a substance made of mushrooms or fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder, brought from Germany.

   Sheep's-wool sponge, a fine and durable commercial sponge ( Spongia equina, variety gossypina) found in Florida and the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and smaller tufts, having the oscula between them.

   Sponge cake, a kind of sweet cake which is light and spongy.

   Sponge lead, or Spongy lead (Chem.), metallic lead brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by compressing finely divided lead; -- used in secondary batteries and otherwise.

   Sponge tree (Bot.), a tropical leguminous tree ( Acacia Farnesiana), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are used in perfumery.

   Toilet sponge, a very fine and superior variety of Mediterranean sponge ( Spongia officinalis, variety Mediterranea); -- called also Turkish sponge.

   To set a sponge (Cookery), to leaven a small mass of flour, to be used in leavening a larger quantity.

   To throw up the sponge, to give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; -- from a custom of the prize ring, the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; -- now, throw in the towel is more common, and has the same origin and meaning. [Cant or Slang] ``He was too brave a man to throw up the sponge to fate.''
   --Lowell.

   Vegetable sponge. (Bot.) See Loof.

   Velvet sponge, a fine, soft commercial sponge ( Spongia equina, variety meandriniformis) found in Florida and the West Indies.

   Vitreous sponge. See Glass-sponge.

   Yellow sponge, a common and valuable commercial sponge ( Spongia agaricina, variety corlosia) found in Florida and the West Indies.

Sheep \Sheep\, n. sing. & pl. [OE. shep, scheep, AS. sc?p, sce['a]p; akin to OFries. sk?p, LG. & D. schaap, G. schaf, OHG. sc[=a]f, Skr. ch[=a]ga. [root]295. Cf. Sheepherd.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of ruminants of the genus Ovis, native of the higher mountains of both hemispheres, but most numerous in Asia.

   Note: The domestic sheep ( Ovis aries) varies much in size, in the length and texture of its wool, the form and size of its horns, the length of its tail, etc. It was domesticated in prehistoric ages, and many distinct breeds have been produced; as the merinos, celebrated for their fine wool; the Cretan sheep, noted for their long horns; the fat-tailed, or Turkish, sheep, remarkable for the size and fatness of the tail, which often has to be supported on trucks; the Southdowns, in which the horns are lacking; and an Asiatic breed which always has four horns.

2. A weak, bashful, silly fellow.
   --Ainsworth.

3. pl. Fig.: The people of God, as being under the government and protection of Christ, the great Shepherd.

   Rocky mountain sheep.(Zo["o]l.) See Bighorn.

   Maned sheep. (Zo["o]l.) See Aoudad.

   Sheep bot (Zo["o]l.), the larva of the sheep botfly. See Estrus.

   Sheep dog (Zo["o]l.), a shepherd dog, or collie.

   Sheep laurel (Bot.), a small North American shrub ( Kalmia angustifolia) with deep rose-colored flowers in corymbs.

   Sheep pest (Bot.), an Australian plant ( Ac[ae]na ovina) related to the burnet. The fruit is covered with barbed spines, by which it adheres to the wool of sheep.

   Sheep run, an extensive tract of country where sheep range and graze.

   Sheep's beard (Bot.), a cichoraceous herb ( Urospermum Dalechampii) of Southern Europe; -- so called from the conspicuous pappus of the achenes.

   Sheep's bit (Bot.), a European herb ( Jasione montana) having much the appearance of scabious.

   Sheep pox (Med.), a contagious disease of sheep, characterixed by the development of vesicles or pocks upon the skin.

   Sheep scabious. (Bot.) Same as Sheep's bit.

   Sheep shears, shears in which the blades form the two ends of a steel bow, by the elasticity of which they open as often as pressed together by the hand in cutting; -- so called because used to cut off the wool of sheep.

   Sheep sorrel. (Bot.), a prerennial herb ( Rumex Acetosella) growing naturally on poor, dry, gravelly soil. Its leaves have a pleasant acid taste like sorrel.

   Sheep's-wool (Zo["o]l.), the highest grade of Florida commercial sponges ( Spongia equina, variety gossypina).

   Sheep tick (Zo["o]l.), a wingless parasitic insect ( Melophagus ovinus) belonging to the Diptera. It fixes its proboscis in the skin of the sheep and sucks the blood, leaving a swelling. Called also sheep pest, and sheep louse.

   Sheep walk, a pasture for sheep; a sheep run.

   Wild sheep. (Zo["o]l.) See Argali, Mouflon, and O["o]rial.