mustache cup
- noun
- /ˈmʌstæʃ kʌp/
- Archaic
:
taza para bigote
- I bought a porcelain mustache cup at the flea market for my collection.
Examples
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The mustache cup was popular among gentlemen in Victorian England.
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He proudly displayed his antique mustache cup on the living room shelf.
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He enjoys his coffee in a mustache cup.
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The antique shop sells beautiful mustache cups.
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He sipped his coffee from a mustache cup to avoid getting foam on his facial hair.
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At the antique shop, I found a beautiful mustache cup with intricate designs.
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Using a mustache cup makes drinking tea much neater for men with beards.
Synonyms
846
1.0
A small open container with a handle for drinking liquids
112
1.0
A large cup with a handle for drinking hot drinks
34
1.0
A small cup with a handle used for drinking coffee
22
1.0
A large cup with a handle for drinking hot drinks like coffee
4
2.7
A small spill-proof cup with a lid and spout for young children
3
1.0
A large sturdy cup with a handle for serving beer
3
1.9
A cup that keeps drinks hot or cold and has a lid for carrying
1
7.9
A large cup with two handles given as a trophy at ceremonies
1
2.5
A container like a cup or mug for holding liquids to drink
A clay mug shaped like a fat man wearing a three-cornered hat
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'mustache' (hair on the upper lip) with 'cup' (a drinking vessel); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a cup designed for or accommodating a mustache (e.g., with a guard). This is a literal compound following common noun-noun composition patterns found across languages, so the function is easily deducible without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun mustache cup is a drinking cup with a small metal or porcelain guard built into the rim that keeps a man's mustache away from the drink. Men in Victorian times used these so their facial hair would not get wet or dirty, so the cup's purpose was 'to keep the mustache out of the drink'.