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Glite Dictionary
stirrup cup

stirrup cup

9.9
A quick drink given to a person on a horse just before they leave
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : copa de estribo
  • He raised his stirrup cup in celebration.

Examples

  • As the hunt prepared to leave, the hostess offered each rider a stirrup cup at the gate.

  • He accepted the traditional stirrup cup, savoring the sherry before mounting his horse.

  • The custom of giving a stirrup cup is still observed in some rural communities.

  • The host offered a stirrup cup to each departing guest.

  • The riders raised their stirrup cups in a toast before heading out for the long ride.

  • As a tradition, each guest was offered a stirrup cup filled with whiskey before they set off on their journey.

  • Before leaving for the hunt, the horsemen enjoyed a final stirrup cup of brandy to warm them up.

Surface Forms

stirrup cup singular
stirrup cups plural

Morphology

stirrup + cup

The compound literally combines 'stirrup' (part of a saddle for riders) and 'cup' (a drinking vessel), so a learner could infer it is a cup associated with horsemen or riding. However, the specific ceremonial sense — a farewell drink offered just before departure — is culturally specific and not fully predictable from the constituents, making the phrase only partially transparent to learners.

Etymology

Stirrup cup may come from a country custom of handing a quick cup of drink to a rider as they put a foot in the stirrup and rode away. Because the drink was given just before leaving, the phrase now means 'a farewell drink'.