cup
[noun]
Synonyms:
- mug, beaker, bowl, chalice, goblet, teacup
- trophy

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Cup, the British English
an informal name for the FA Cup

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. cup¹ S1 W1 /kʌp/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: cuppe, from Late Latin cuppa, from Latin cupa 'barrel']

1. FOR DRINKING [countable] a small round container, usually with a handle, that you use to drink tea, coffee etc ⇒ saucer:
Mathew picked up the cup and sipped his coffee.
She put her cup and saucer down on the table.
tea/coffee cup
Helen took the coffee cups into the kitchen.
paper/plastic/china etc cup
They drank cheap wine from plastic cups.

2. DRINK [countable] the liquid contained inside a cup
cup of
Let’s go and have a cup of coffee.
Will you stay for a cup of tea?
Would you like another cup?

3. AMOUNT OF LIQUID/FOOD [countable]
a) a unit used in the US for measuring food or liquid in cooking, equal to eight fluid ounces or 237 millilitres:
Mix the butter with one cup of powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
b) (also cupful /ˈkʌpfʊl/) the amount of liquid or food that a cup can hold:
Breakfast consisted of half a cup of milk and a dry biscuit.

4. SPORT COMPETITION
a) [countable] a specially shaped silver container, often with two handles, that is given as a prize in a competition, especially a sports competition:
The president of the club came to present the cup to the winners.
b) [singular] a sports competition in which a cup is given as a prize:
They’ve won the European Cup twice.
Germany’s World Cup team

5. ROUND THING [countable] something round and hollow that is shaped like a cup:
The flowers’ white petals contrast handsomely with their lemon-yellow cups.
acorn cups
cup of
She held it in the cup of her hand.

6. GOLF [countable] American English a hole in the ground that you have to try to hit the ball into in the game of golf

7. CLOTHING [countable]
a) the part of a bra that covers a woman’s breast
b) American English a jockstrap

8. ALCOHOL [uncountable and countable] British English a mixed alcoholic drink:
He’s gone to get me some fruit cup.

9. not be your cup of tea spoken to not be the type of thing that you like:
Jazz just isn’t my cup of tea – I prefer classical music.

10. in your cups British English old-fashioned drunk, or when drunk:
By the time Anthony arrived, Richard was already deep in his cups.
⇒ eggcup

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. cup² verb (past tense and past participle cupped, present participle cupping) [transitive]

1. to hold something in your hands, so that your hands form part of a circle around it:
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
Luke was sitting at his desk, one hand cupping his chin.

2. cup your hand(s) to make a shape like a cup with your hand or hands:
He struck a match and cupped his hand around the flame.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cup
noun
I. container
ADJ. empty | full | half-empty, half-full | broken, chipped, cracked | china, paper, plastic | coffee, tea
QUANT. set
VERB + CUP fill, refill | drain, empty She was so thirsty that she drained her cup.
lift, pick up, raise She raised her cup to her lips.
place, put down, replace, set down | drink from/out of Customers didn't like drinking out of plastic cups.
CUP + VERB contain sth
PHRASES a cup and saucer

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cup
II. drink
ADJ. strong I like a good strong cup of tea first thing in the morning.
fresh My coffee was cold, so I ordered a fresh cup.
VERB + CUP offer sb | make (sb) | pour (sb) I'm making tea. Can I pour you a cup?
help yourself to | stir Enrique stirred his fourth cup of coffee of the day.
drink, sip I drink about ten cups of coffee a day.
PREP. ~ of
PHRASES a nice cup of tea You sit down and I'll make you a nice cup of tea.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cup
III. in sport
ADJ. challenge | knockout | European, World, etc.
VERB + CUP win Who won the cup?
lose | present (sb with) The cup will be presented to the winning team by the president himself.
lift He lifted the cup for the sixth time this year (= it was the sixth time he had won).
CUP + NOUN competition They were the first Turkish team to win a major cup competition.
clash, match The team are ready for next week's World Cup clash with Italy.
final, quarter-final, semi-finals | win, winner
PHRASES the first, etc. round of the cup

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cup

full
The cup was full of hot tea.
empty
A girl was clearing away the empty cups.
a paper/plastic/china cup (=one made of paper etc)
All they had to drink was warm beer in plastic cups.
a coffee cup
He picked up the coffee cups and took them into the kitchen.
a tea cup (also teacup)
Mum put a tea cup and saucer on the table.
fill a cup
Angie filled the cup and handed it to him.
drain/empty a cup (=drink all the coffee, tea etc in it)
He lifted his cup of coffee and drained it.
a cup and saucer
Do you prefer a mug or a cup and saucer?
a set of cups
a set of beautiful blue coffee cups

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cup
kʌp
See: in one's cups

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲