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Glite Dictionary
dice cup

dice cup

1 3.3
A small cup used to shake and throw dice in games
  • noun
translation icon : copa de dados
  • During game night, everyone took turns using the dice cup to roll the dice.

Examples

  • He picked up the dice cup and shook it before tossing the dice onto the table.

  • Tully covered the top of a dice cup, gave it a rattle, and with elaborate indifference said, "Wanna roll for a beer?" While they drank, she asked if he was still going out with the Smalley girl.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • I just got lucky with the dice cup, that's all.

    The Left Hand of God (1955)

  • He brought the dice cup down on the counter so hard that part of Cathy's gin and tonic spilled out of her glass.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • She placed the dice cup on the table, ready to start the board game with her friends.

Synonyms

cup
vsdice cup
846 1.0

A small open container with a handle for drinking liquids

is used for shaking and throwing dice in games rather than drinking
dice box
vsdice cup
6.3

A small open container for shaking dice before rolling them

has a cup shape rather than a general container form

Surface Forms

dice cup singular
dice cups plural

Morphology

dice + cup

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'dice' (the gaming cubes) with 'cup' (a small open container): it denotes a cup used for dice. This is a straightforward noun–noun compound denoting purpose/use, a pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.

Etymology

The noun dice cup comes from the small cup players use to shake and throw dice. The cup hides and holds the dice until the throw, so its name simply describes the object used in games.