✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

teacup

noun

tea·​cup ˈtē-ˌkəp How to pronounce teacup (audio)
: a small cup usually with a handle used with a saucer for hot beverages
teacupful noun

Examples of teacup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No need to worry about sourcing a matching teacup! Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025 All things mini, from charcuterie boards to teacup-sized tambourines, are trending. Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 26 Nov. 2025 Even secondary characters and park-specific icons, like the Haunted Mansion’s Hat Box Ghost and Chip and Dale in a Mad Tea Party teacup, are included. Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025 There were two charpoys, with a table that held the board squeezed between them, teacups crowded to the side, players sitting cross-legged. Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for teacup

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teacup was in 1700

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Teacup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teacup. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

teacup

noun
tea·​cup ˈtē-ˌkəp How to pronounce teacup (audio)
: a small cup used with a saucer for hot beverages

More from Merriam-Webster on teacup

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!