cup

[ kuhp ]

/ kʌp /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: cup / cupped / cupping on Thesaurus.com

Definition of cup

noun

a small, open container made of china, glass, metal, etc., usually having a handle and used chiefly as a receptable from which to drink tea, soup, etc.

the bowllike part of a goblet or the like.

a cup with its contents.

the quantity contained in a cup.

a unit of capacity, equal to 8 fluid ounces (237 milliliters) or 16 tablespoons; half-pint.

an ornamental bowl, vase, etc., especially of precious metal, offered as a prize for a contest.

any of various beverages, as a mixture of wine and various ingredients: claret cup.

the chalice used in the Eucharist.

the wine of the Eucharist.

something to be partaken of or endured; one's portion, as of joy or suffering.

any cuplike utensil, organ, part, cavity, etc.

either of the two forms that cover and usually support the breasts in a brassiere or other garment, as a bathing suit.

an athletic supporter reinforced with rigid plastic or metal for added protection.

Golf.

the metal receptacle within the hole.
the hole itself.

Cup, Astronomy. the constellation Crater.

cupping glass.

Metalworking. a cylindrical shell closed at one end, especially one produced in the first stages of a deep-drawing operation.

Mathematics. the cuplike symbol ∪, used to indicate the union of two sets.Compare union (def. 10a).

cups, Archaic. the drinking of intoxicating liquors.

verb (used with object), cupped, cup·ping.

to take or place in, or as in, a cup: He cupped his ear with the palm of his hand.

to form into a cuplike shape: He cupped his hands.

to use a cupping glass on.

Metalworking. to form (tubing, containers, etc.) by punching hot strip or sheet metal and drawing it through a die.Compare deep-draw.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about cup

in one's cups, intoxicated; drunk.

Origin of cup

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English cuppe, from Latin cuppa, variant of cūpa “tub, cask”

OTHER WORDS FROM cup

cuplike, adjectiveun·der·cup, noun

Words nearby cup

Cunninghame Graham, cunningly, Cunobelinus, cunt, Cuomo, cup, cup and cover, cup-and-saucer vine, cupbearer, cupboard, cupboard love

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cup in a sentence

Inspiration to combine the plastic knob with the touchscreen came from a Keurig cup on a conference room table during a meeting to discuss how to handle volume input, he said.
Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E is an important leap into the future|Dan Carney|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
There are probably other cups or plates you will grow to love as much.
Replacing pieces of flatware or china can be a challenge. Here’s how to track them down.|Laura Daily|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
With brain signals alone, these people have been able to shop online, communicate — even use a prosthetic arm to sip from a cup.
New technology can get inside your head. Are you ready?|Laura Sanders|February 11, 2021|Science News For Students
There’s no pretense that Travis Scott was deep in the test kitchen carefully dipping fries into different sauce cups, or that Charli D’Amelio stood behind the espresso machine layering in syrups until something clicked.
Celebrities have always done endorsements. Now they sell their fast food orders.|Jameson Rich|February 5, 2021|Vox

Living in a home based on that of an insect that might have stung you as a child and which you’d gladly squash with a rolled-up newspaper if given the opportunity might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
This Hive-Like House Is 3D Printed, Carbon-Neutral, and Made of Clay|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|February 3, 2021|Singularity Hub
Anthony Goldstein probably chose a trip to the Quidditch World Cup over his Birthright trip to Israel.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soak the cranberries in ¾ cup cranberry juice for 15 minutes.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His ups and downs professionally outside of the World Cup are a vital a part of his story in the book.
Tim Howard’s Wall of Intensity|William O’Connor|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was bored, but I grabbed a red Solo cup, filled it with beer, and stayed with my group, chatting with the brothers about Jim.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Finally, he says, “Would you like a cup of tea or something?”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And he himself brought her the golden-brown bouillon, in a dainty Sevres cup, with a flaky cracker or two on the saucer.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
She thrust a bare, white arm from the curtain which shielded her open door, and received the cup from his hands.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
A quite young child will, for example, pretend to do something, as to take an empty cup and carry out the semblance of drinking.
Children's Ways|James Sully
His pacing had brought him to the opposite end of the board, where stood the cup of wine madame had poured for Marius.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
She gave him his cup of tea, with the same gesture that had charmed Nigel on the day when he first visited her.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for cup

cup

/ (kʌp) /

noun

a small open container, usually having one handle, used for drinking from

the contents of such a containerthat cup was too sweet

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

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

either of two cup-shaped parts of a brassiere, designed to support the breasts

a cup-shaped trophy awarded as a prize

British

a sporting contest in which a cup is awarded to the winner
(as modifier)a cup competition

a mixed drink with one ingredient as a base, usually served from a bowlclaret cup

golf the hole or metal container in the hole on a green

the chalice or the consecrated wine used in the Eucharist

one's lot in life

in one's cups drunk

one's cup of tea informal one's chosen or preferred thing, task, company, etcshe's not my cup of tea

verb cups, cupping or cupped (tr)

to form (something, such as the hands) into the shape of a cup

to put into or as if into a cup

archaic to draw blood to the surface of the body of (a person) by using a cupping glass

Derived forms of cup

cuplike, adjective

Word Origin for cup

Old English cuppe, from Late Latin cuppa cup, alteration of Latin cūpa cask

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cup

cup

In addition to the idiom beginning with cup

cup of tea, one's

also see:

in one's cups