cup

name

1. Initialism of Cambridge University Press.
2. Initialism of Committee of Union and Progress.

noun

Etymology: Inherited from Middle English cuppe, coppe, from the merger of Old English cuppe (“cup”) and Old English copp (“cup, vessel”). Old English cuppe is a borrowing from Late Latin cuppa, itself of obscure origin, but probably from earlier Latin cūpa (“tub, cask”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewp- (“a hollow”). Old English copp, however, is from Proto-West Germanic *kopp (“round object, bowl, vessel, knoll, summit, crown of the head”), from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve, arch”) (whence also obsolete English cop (“top, summit, crown of the head”), German Kopf (“top, head”)). The Middle English word was further reinforced by Anglo-Norman cupe and Old French cope, coupe, from Latin cuppa. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kop (“cup”), West Frisian kop (“cup”), Dutch kop (“cup”), German Low German Koppke, Köppke (“cup”), Danish kop (“cup”), Swedish kopp (“cup”). Doublet of coupe, hive, and keeve.

1. A concave vessel for drinking, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass) and with a handle.

   “Pour the tea into the cup.”

2. The contents of said vessel.

   “I drank two cups of water but still felt thirsty.”

   “In Starbucks’s case, the firm has in effect turned the process of making an expensive cup of coffee into intellectual property.”

3. A customary unit of measure
4. A customary unit of measure
5. A customary unit of measure
6. A customary unit of measure
7. A trophy in the shape of an oversized cup.

   “The World Cup is awarded to the winner of a quadrennial football tournament.”

   “Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.”

8. A contest for which a cup is awarded.

   “The World Cup is the world's most widely watched sporting event.”

9. The main knockout tournament in a country, organised alongside the league.

   “Until it was disbanded in 1999, the European Cup-Winners Cup was contested annually by the winners of Europe's national cups.”

   “Wallace had the unique distinction of being the only player ever to play in the English, Welsh and Scottish Cups in the same season.”

10. A cup-shaped object placed in the target hole.

    “The ball just misses the cup.”

11. A container in which dice are held and shaken before being thrown.
12. Any of various sweetened alcoholic drinks.

    “cider cup”

    “gin cup”

13. A rigid concave protective covering for the male genitalia.

    “Players of contact sports are advised to wear a cup.”

    “Boys, I thought I told you to let the store tell you what cup size you needed.”

14. One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.

    “The cups are made of a particularly uncomfortable material.”

15. One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.

    “"For cleavage to show up in these photos, a girl has to have C-cup breasts — at least that's what they told me once."”

16. The symbol ∪ denoting union and similar operations.
17. A suit of the minor arcana in tarot, or one of the cards from the suit.
18. A defensive style characterized by a three player near defense cupping the thrower; or those three players.
19. A flexible concave membrane used to temporarily attach a handle or hook to a flat surface by means of suction.
20. Anything shaped like a cup.

    “the cup of an acorn”

    “The cowslip's golden cup no more I see.”

21. A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping.
22. That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion of blessings and afflictions.

    “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.”

verb

Etymology: Inherited from Middle English cuppe, coppe, from the merger of Old English cuppe (“cup”) and Old English copp (“cup, vessel”). Old English cuppe is a borrowing from Late Latin cuppa, itself of obscure origin, but probably from earlier Latin cūpa (“tub, cask”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewp- (“a hollow”). Old English copp, however, is from Proto-West Germanic *kopp (“round object, bowl, vessel, knoll, summit, crown of the head”), from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve, arch”) (whence also obsolete English cop (“top, summit, crown of the head”), German Kopf (“top, head”)). The Middle English word was further reinforced by Anglo-Norman cupe and Old French cope, coupe, from Latin cuppa. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kop (“cup”), West Frisian kop (“cup”), Dutch kop (“cup”), German Low German Koppke, Köppke (“cup”), Danish kop (“cup”), Swedish kopp (“cup”). Doublet of coupe, hive, and keeve.

1. To form into the shape of a cup, particularly of the hands.

   “Cup your hands and I'll pour some rice into them.”

2. To hold something in cupped hands.

   “He cupped the ball carefully in his hands.”

3. To pour (a liquid, drink, etc.) into a cup.

   “We are cupping some new brands of coffee today.”

4. To supply with cups of wine.

   “Cup us, till the world go round.”

5. To apply a cup or cupping apparatus to; to subject to the operation of cupping.
6. To make concave or in the form of a cup.

   “to cup the end of a screw”