cup

noun \ ˈkəp \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of cup

1 : an open usually bowl-shaped drinking vessel

2 a : a drinking vessel and its contents

b : the consecrated wine of the Communion

3 : something that falls to one's lot

4 : an ornamental cup offered as a prize (as in a championship)

5 : something resembling a cup: such as

a : a cup-shaped plant organ

b : an athletic supporter reinforced usually with plastic to provide extra protection to the wearer

c : either of two parts of a brassiere that are shaped like and fit over the breasts

d : the metal case inside a hole in golf; also : the hole itself

6 : a usually iced beverage resembling punch but served from a pitcher rather than a bowl

7 : a half pint : eight fluid ounces

8 : a food served in a cup-shaped usually footed vessel

a fruit cup

9 : the symbol ∪ indicating the union of two sets — compare cap 7

—

cuplike

play \ˈkəp-ˌlīk\ adjective

— in one's cups

: drunk

See cup defined for English-language learners

See cup defined for kids

Examples of cup in a Sentence

Would you like another cup of tea?
The winner will take home the cup.

Recent Examples of cup from the Web

For example, the Romans created a fourth-century goblet known as the Lycurgus cup, which appears jade green when lit from the front but blood red when backlit.

— doug main, The Atlantic, "Humankind’s Most Important Material," 7 Apr. 2018
Going without my usual toast, five cups of coffee, and a sugar fix meant one thing: a headache.

— alex zaragoza, Glamour, "I Tried Eating Like My Ancestors for a Week and I Loved It," 3 Apr. 2018
Add the cheese, lemon juice and about ⅓ 1/3 cup hot pasta water (more, as needed) gently stirring, until a light sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes.

— susan russo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Easy recipes for a pasta party," 2 Apr. 2018
But attorney Raphael Metzger, who brought the lawsuit and drinks a few cups of coffee a day, said the industry could remove the chemical without impairing taste.

— NBC News, "California judge rules that coffee requires cancer warning," 30 Mar. 2018
Then it is rolled into spirals and packed into cups, after which customers can choose even more toppings.

— heidi williams, OregonLive.com, "Thai rolled ice cream comes to Portland at 22 Below (video)," 29 Mar. 2018
Diva, Intimina and Mooncup make reusable silicone cups that also go inside the body.

— The Economist, "A long overdue disruption in menstrual products," 28 Mar. 2018
And not every element is shielded; the eight-inch-diameter solar probe cup, which measures the angle and plasma energy of the solar wind, is one of the few instruments that isn’t protected by the shield.

— eric niiler, WIRED, "NASA's New Parker Probe Will Skim the Sun's Surface," 28 Mar. 2018
Between the tiny, elegant cups, nearly overflowing with coffee, were dates dusted with sugar.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "Are We Already Living in Virtual Reality?," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cup

Middle English cuppe, from Old English, from Late Latin cuppa cup, alteration of Latin cupa tub — more at hive

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

cup Synonyms

Synonyms

mug;

Related Words

beaker, stein, tankard;

chalice, goblet;

demitasse, noggin;

teacup;

cup

verb

Definition of cup

cupped; cupping

transitive verb

1 : to treat by cupping

2 a : to curve into the shape of a cup

cupped his hands around his mouth

b : to place in or as if in a cup

See cup defined for English-language learners

Examples of cup in a Sentence

He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at us.
I had to cup my hand to my ear in order to hear him.
He cupped his mouth with his hands and shouted at us.
I sat with my chin cupped in my hand.

Recent Examples of cup from the Web

Damp carpeting, loose tiles, peeling linoleum and cupping wood flooring are common signs of wet subflooring.

— wilson weaver, chicagotribune.com, "3 home improvement issues you should never ignore," 9 Apr. 2018
With each stroke a good swimmer will keep their hand closed and slightly cupped to try to capture the most water.

— megan arnett, Scientific American, "Just Keep Spinning--Find the Best Pinwheel Design!," 29 Mar. 2018
The unique harvesting process creates strong, deep shells that cup the plump, buttery, not-too-big meat within.

— christina chaey, Bon Appetit, "Every Single Place to Eat (and Drink) Right Now in Houston," 22 Mar. 2018
Milèo recommends cupping your hands over your face after evenly applying the oil and taking five deep breaths to multitask its skin-rejuvenating benefits with a shot of aromatherapy.

— celia ellenberg, Vogue, "Meet Milèo, The New Skincare Line for Face Oil Fanatics," 6 Feb. 2018
People got on their knees to cup their hands and drink it.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Canadian Rockies a towering visual treat by foot -- or bus (photos, video)," 18 Mar. 2018
The Pikeville, Kentucky, physician cupped his son’s face and tried to resuscitate him on this October evening in 2011.

— jerry mitchell and laura ungar, The Courier-Journal, "Drugs kill more Americans than guns and cars. Kentucky was ground zero from the start," 28 Jan. 2018
To do this, wash your hands, cup your breast with one hand and form a C-shape around your areola with your thumb and pointer finger.

— korin miller, SELF, "Chelsea Peretti Brought Her Breast Pump to the SAG Awards Because You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do," 23 Jan. 2018
Overnight Almond Protein Oats In a small bowl stir together a quarter cup each of dry old-fashioned rolled oats and plain almond protein powder.

— Health.com, "Why This New Protein Powder Is a Game Changer, According to a Nutritionist," 8 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of cup

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CUP Defined for English Language Learners

cup

noun

Definition of cup for English Language Learners

: a small round container that often has a handle and that is used for drinking liquids (such as tea and coffee)
: the liquid that is contained in a cup
: a unit of measurement that is used when you are cooking

cup

verb

Definition of cup for English Language Learners

: to curve (your hand) into the shape of a cup
: to put your hand in a curved shape around (something)

CUP Defined for Kids

cup

noun \ ˈkəp \

Definition of cup for Students

1 : a container to drink out of in the shape of a small bowl usually with a handle

2 : the contents of a small drinking container : cupful

I drank a cup of tea.

3 : a unit of measure that equals half a pint or eight fluid ounces

4 : a trophy in the shape of a cup with two handles

5 : something like a small bowl in shape or use

I picked her up in the cup of my hands …
—Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain

cup

verb

Definition of cup for Students

cupped; cupping

1 : to curve the hand or hands into the shape of a small bowl

2 : to put the hands in a curved shape around

She cupped my face.

Medical Dictionary

cup

noun \ ˈkəp \

medical Definition of cup

1 : a usually open bowl-shaped drinking vessel often having a handle and a stem and base and sometimes a lid

2 : a drinking vessel and its contents : the beverage or food contained in a cup

a second cup of coffee

3 : something resembling a cup

invagination of the blastula to form a multilayered cellular cup

: as

a (1) : an athletic supporter reinforced for providing extra protection to the wearer in certain strenuous sports (as boxing, hockey, or football)

(2) : either of the two parts of a brassiere that are shaped like and fit over the breasts

b : a small bell-shaped glass formerly used in cupping

c : a cap of metal or plastic shaped like the femoral head and used in plastic reconstruction of the hip joint

cup

verb

medical Definition of cup

cupped; cupping

transitive verb

: to treat by cupping

intransitive verb

: to undergo or perform cupping

Learn More about cup

See words that rhyme with cup Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cup Spanish Central: Translation of cup Nglish: Translation of cup for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cup for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cup

Seen and Heard

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cup

Definition of cup

cuplike

Examples of cup in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cup from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cup

cup Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

cup

Definition of cup

Examples of cup in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cup from the Web

First Known Use of cup

Phrases Related to CUP

Related Phrases

CUP Defined for English Language Learners

cup

Definition of cup for English Language Learners

cup

Definition of cup for English Language Learners

CUP Defined for Kids

cup

Definition of cup for Students

cup

Definition of cup for Students

Medical Dictionary

cup

medical Definition of cup

cup

medical Definition of cup

Learn More about cup

Seen and Heard

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