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cup

cup

37 1.3
A hollow part of something that holds or supports another part
  • noun
  • /kʌp/
: copa
  • Frantic sailors seized every bucket and cup, everything that could conceivably be used to scoop water.
  • suction cup
  • cup-like
  • oviposition cup

Examples

  • I took it with my right hand and formed a cup with my left hand.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower.

  • I love that cup of tea, so I'm going to do that.

  • This kid left the yogurt in its cup in my sink.

  • The red-haired woman crossed the room and returned with a cup of something warm and soothing.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Esther and the helper ran in and out, taking away dirty cups and bringing clean ones.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Sister Helen nodded and, taking the cup of tablets, knocked lightly on Sister Gertrude's door.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Model 3310 is a single-cup version; dual-cup and pot/switch options are available.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The gardener admired the beautiful cup of the tulip blooming in spring.

  • The little girl carefully filled her cup with lemonade at the picnic.

Synonyms

cupule
vscup
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A hard cup-shaped base that holds and partly covers an acorn

is the general hollow part in objects or plants, not only this nut structure
acorn cup
vscup
1 8.4

A hard hollow base at the bottom of an acorn that partly holds the nut

is the broad hollow part in many objects and plants, not only this base
floral cup
vscup
  • Specialized
7.6

A cuplike part at the base of a flower that holds small parts like petals and stamens

is a general hollow component across objects or bodies, not only parts of a flower

Idioms

cup of tea
  • Informal
22 3.3

Something you like or are good at

To ask or hope, often in prayer, not to have a hard time

Compounds

340 1.0

A hot drink of coffee in a cup

92 1.0

An international soccer tournament held every four years where national teams play to win the world title

37 1.0

A small cup with a handle used for drinking coffee

18 2.7

Final match in a cup competition that decides the winner

13 1.0

A cup made of paper that you throw away after drinking from it

12 1.0

An amount of sugar that fills one cup used for cooking

10 1.6

A small space in a car or chair that keeps a cup from falling

sippy cup
  • Baby Talk
9 2.7

A small spill-proof cup with a lid and spout for young children

7 2.8

An annual international men's team tennis competition

A cup with marks for measuring liquids or dry ingredients

5 3.3

A small cup that sticks to smooth surfaces by pushing the air out

4 2.8

A small disposable paper cup for drinking water or other drinks

cup of java
  • Informal
4 6.8

A cup of coffee people drink to wake up

2 1.8

A small round cup of paper, foil, or silicone that holds and shapes muffins while they bake

1 7.9

A large cup with two handles given as a trophy at ceremonies

1 1.6

A light disposable container for drinks made from foam plastic

1 1.0

A small dish that holds a boiled egg upright in its shell

cup tie
  • Jargon
1 6.3

A match between teams in a cup competition where the loser is out

eye cup
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A small cup that fits around the eye to rinse it or put medicine in it

A garden flower with bell-shaped blue, purple, or white blooms

1 3.5

A person or team that has the cup after winning a competition

1 3.3

A small cup used to shake and throw dice in games

stirrup cup
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A quick drink given to a person on a horse just before they leave

mustache cup
  • Archaic
1 9.8

A cup with a small bar inside the rim that keeps a man's mustache out of the drink

sippy cup
  • Offensive
1 5.4

An object given to someone as a joke to show they act like a child

1 3.5

A small metal hook that you screw under a shelf to hang cups by the handles

optic cup
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A two-layer cup in a developing embryo that becomes the retina's dark and light-sensing layers

1 9.9

A very poisonous white mushroom with a cup-shaped base and white gills that can kill if eaten

1 9.9

A yellow tropical fruit with juicy sweet flesh

1 4.0

A disposable cup made from Styrofoam that keeps drinks hot or cold

1 8.4

A hard hollow base at the bottom of an acorn that partly holds the nut

cup morel
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A mushroom you can eat with a cup-shaped body and wrinkles inside

1 9.9

A small bright red mushroom shaped like a cup that appears in early spring

fairy cup
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small plant that comes back every year with two opposite leaves and a stem of white flowers

1 9.9

A plant from Mexico with bright yellow cup-shaped flowers and blue-grey divided leaves

cup fungus
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A small fungus with a cup-shaped body that holds spores

A cold mixed drink made with sparkling wine and fruit

1 9.9

A cup passed around at the end of a meal for the final toast

9.9

A small bright red mushroom with a cup-shaped body that grows in woods

A small black, cup-shaped mushroom that grows on dead wood in damp forests

bone-ash cup
  • Archaic
9.9

A small bowl made from bone ash used to separate precious metals during testing

brown cup
  • Specialized
9.9

A small brown mushroom that looks like a cup and grows on dead wood in damp places

A black, cup-shaped mushroom that looks like a burnt pancake

claret cup
  • Archaic
9.2

A cold drink made from red wine, brandy, lemon, sugar, and fresh fruit

cup of chay
  • Indian
8.4

A cup of tea made with spices, common in South Asia

A warm drink, like tea, that makes you feel better

drag-cup motor
  • Specialized
7.8

An electric machine with a cup-shaped metal part that turns around a fixed magnet inside

elf cup
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bright red mushroom shaped like a cup that grows on the forest floor

9.9

A small bright red mushroom with a cup-shaped body

floral cup
  • Specialized
7.6

A cuplike part at the base of a flower that holds small parts like petals and stamens

flower-cup fern
  • Specialized
9.8

A slender plant with shiny brown stalks and divided leaves with small brown dots along the edges

9.3

A medium to large North American tree with acorns in deep fringed cups

A bog plant with dark red, cup-shaped leaves that trap insects

9.9

A plant from western North America with one or two white star-shaped flowers on short leafless stems

rufous rubber cup
  • Specialized
9.9

A small reddish-brown cup-shaped mushroom that grows on dead wood

9.6

A wild plant with bright red or orange flower parts that look like a brush

How Deep

cavity
  • Specialized
66 4.1
bowl
433 1.0
pit
  • Specialized
86 5.3
cup
37 1.3
indentation
20 3.7
dimple
11 1.6

Surface Forms

cup singular
cups plural

Etymology

Cup for a hollow part comes from the same idea as the drinking cup: a small bowl or hollow. That's why any bowl-like or hollow part is called a 'cup'.