Sentence:  The great absorbency of this tissue and the fact that it is easier to control than a <WSD>sponge</WSD> makes it an ideal tool for the watercolorist . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used