cupping

American

[kuhp-ing] / ˈkʌp ɪŋ /

noun

the process of drawing blood from the body by scarification and the application of a cupping glass, or by the application of a cupping glass without scarification, as for relieving internal congestion or for loosening and stimulating the muscles.

cupping British

/ ˈkʌpɪŋ /

noun

archaic med the process of applying a cupping glass to the skin

"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

Etymology

Origin of cupping

First recorded in 1350–1400; cup ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

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:

cupping

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

Adherents swear by cupping therapy as a way to manage muscle pain and detoxify, but more spas are touting it as the ideal postflight treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

In addition to his usual routine, he’s tried cryotherapy, infrared therapy, massages with cupping — anything to keep inflammation down and ward away the nagging injuries that followed him over three years at Mississippi State.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024

Elliott, 26, celebrated by channelling former WWE superstars Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, strutting in the centre of the octagon before cupping each of his ears.

From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2024

“The wha’?” Bodega got closer to her, cupping his ear.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023