teacup

noun

tea·​cup ˈtē-ˌkəp 

: a small cup usually with a handle used with a saucer for hot beverages

teacupful

ˈtē-ˌkəp-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Examples of teacup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today’s most surprising one was made from a large teapot topped by a stack of three teacups. — Lydia Davis, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

The parents show the breed standard as an adult, and if the parents are well below the breed standard, the animal could be a teacup. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

The delicate teacups and saucers (like many of the hotel’s ceramics) are made by Noritake—a historic Japanese ceramics company which produced the nation’s first Western-style dinner set in 1914, just a few years after the prison opened. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026

There’s a giant teacup — stripped down to primer gray — in the spray paint bay waiting for its new coats. — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing teacup

• a storm in a teacup

Rhymes for teacup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

teacup

noun

tea·​cup ˈtē-ˌkəp 

: a small cup used with a saucer for hot beverages