cup
Americannoun
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cups
plural
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a small, open container made of china, glass, metal, paper, plastic, etc., sometimes having a handle and used chiefly as a receptacle from which to drink hot or cold beverages, soup, etc.
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the bowllike part of a goblet or the like.
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a cup with its contents.
You look exhausted—go sit down and I'll bring you a cup of tea.
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the quantity contained in a cup.
He drank a cup of water before bed.
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a unit of capacity, equal to 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters) or 16 tablespoons; half-pint.
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an ornamental bowl, vase, etc., especially of precious metal, offered as a prize for a contest.
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any of various beverages, such as a mixture of wine and other ingredients.
claret cup.
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the chalice used in the Eucharist.
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the wine of the Eucharist.
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something to be partaken of or endured; one's portion, as of joy or suffering.
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any cuplike utensil, organ, part, cavity, etc.
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either of the two forms that cover and usually support the breasts in a bra or other garment, such as a bathing suit.
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an athletic supporter reinforced with rigid plastic or metal for added protection.
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Golf.
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the metal receptacle within the hole.
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the hole itself.
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Astronomy. Cup, the constellation Crater.
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Metalworking. a cylindrical shell closed at one end, especially one produced in the first stages of a deep-drawing operation.
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Mathematics. the cuplike symbol ∪, used to indicate the union of two sets.
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Archaic. cups, the drinking of intoxicating liquors.
verb (used with object)
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cups,
present (3rd person singular)
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cupped,
past participle, past
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cupping
present participle
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to take or place in, or as in, a cup.
He cupped his ear with the palm of his hand.
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to form into a cuplike shape.
He cupped his hands.
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to use a cupping glass on.
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Metalworking. to form (tubing, containers, etc.) by punching hot strip or sheet metal and drawing it through a die.
idioms
noun
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a small open container, usually having one handle, used for drinking from
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the contents of such a container
that cup was too sweet
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Also called: teacup, cupful. a unit of capacity used in cooking equal to approximately half a pint, 8 fluid ounces, or about one quarter of a litre
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something resembling a cup in shape or function, such as the flower base of some plants of the rose family or a cuplike bodily organ
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either of two cup-shaped parts of a brassiere, designed to support the breasts
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a cup-shaped trophy awarded as a prize
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a sporting contest in which a cup is awarded to the winner
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( as modifier )
a cup competition
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a mixed drink with one ingredient as a base, usually served from a bowl
claret cup
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golf the hole or metal container in the hole on a green
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the chalice or the consecrated wine used in the Eucharist
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one's lot in life
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drunk
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informal one's chosen or preferred thing, task, company, etc
she's not my cup of tea
verb
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to form (something, such as the hands) into the shape of a cup
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to put into or as if into a cup
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archaic to draw blood to the surface of the body of (a person) by using a cupping glass
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cupsimple
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cupssimple
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have cuppedperfect
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has cuppedperfect
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am cuppingprogressive
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are cuppingprogressive
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is cuppingprogressive
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have been cuppingperfect progressive
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has been cuppingperfect progressive
Past
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cuppedsimple
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had cuppedperfect
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was cuppingprogressive
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were cuppingprogressive
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had been cuppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cup
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English cuppe, from Latin cuppa, variant of cūpa “cask, tub,” apparently akin to Greek kýpellon “goblet,” Sanskrit kūpa- “hole, vessel, well”
Explanation
A cup is a vessel used for drinking. Your grandmother might make it a habit never to go to bed without a cup of warm milk. A cup is like a small bowl with a handle. It's also a unit of measurement in cooking — if a recipe calls for a cup of water, it's the same as eight ounces. If you cup your hands, you form them into a cup shape, which you do when you hold a baby bird or cup your hand to whisper to your friend. If you say, "Polka music's not my cup of tea," it means you don't love it.
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.
See Examples For:
Walmart executives are prohibited from offering or accepting even a free cup of coffee when doing business deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The filmmaker likened the project to a small football team going on a cup run, saying it "brought people together in the story".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
One group ate a medium Hass avocado and a cup of fresh mango daily, while the control group received carbohydrate-based alternatives with comparable calorie content.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
"I hope he feels at home," he told AFP, refining the rim of a cup he had just molded.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
I guess he got me in his truck at some point because now I’m sitting on Gertrude with a crocheted blanket tucked around me, and a cup of hot chocolate in my hands.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot into an Erewhon without seeing at least a few shoppers cuffing its branded smoothie cups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Thirteen Premier League titles, two Champions League victories, five FA cups and four League Cups later - maybe not.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Among people who drank tea at least weekly, the lowest estimated risk occurred at approximately six to eight cups per day.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
She turned a maroon tablecloth into a makeshift curtain, attaching it to the French doors with suction cups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The otter who’d drunk thirteen cups of tea and chattered with Clare by the hearth all night.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
As she spoke, Lina's face creased and she cupped it in her hands.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026
Van de Ven cheekily cupped his ear to the crowd before team-mates made a point of embracing him to show their support after Saturday's spat.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025
Chow cupped a hand around her mouth and shouted, “We love you!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
When Sarr scored, it looked like Ange cupped his ears to say: I know better.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2025
When I stand up to peek over the cliff, I see Titus and Denny with their hands cupped around their mouths.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
She scraped my skin with firm, painful strokes, and then moved on to cupping, placing glass suction cups across my back and shoulders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Often, like in my treatment in Singapore, cupping is paired with gua sha, creating a push and pull on the skin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
I do think about recovery and take recovery quite seriously, so I’ll do a weekly massage, where I do cupping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
But the seventh seed used the crowd to his advantage in the tie-break, conducting them after hitting a sublime backhand pass and cupping his ear after a deft volley brought up two match points.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2025
Tommy refused to be snubbed and, cupping his ear to the carton, shouted, “What’s that? No kidding! You’re crazy about me. Inside that answer machine all those brainy cells are rooting for me to win.”
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
