Cup Definition: Usage, Meaning, and Examples

The best way to learn how to spell “cup” and use this word is to read it in different contexts. Study the examples below to understand the nuances of forms and uses.

You can find many words to describe containers for liquids instead of cups. There are also many phrases you can learn, in addition to cups, to discuss the entire art of cooking.

Related nouns: teapot tray set serving spoon

Synonyms (contextual): mug glass teacup

Common collocations: pour into a cup lift a cup empty a cup paper cup plastic cup

Adjectives can help you discuss the temperature, size, quality, and characteristics of cups. Having learnt verb collocations, you will be able to explain what you want to do with them. Noun phrases we collected indicate purposes and materials.

With adjectives: hot cup warm cup empty cup steaming cup clean cup large cup

With verbs: sip from a cup fill a cup break a cup wash a cup serve tea in a cup

With nouns (noun + noun): coffee cup paper cup travel cup silver cup

Sometimes, the meaning of “cup” is something completely different, unrelated to utensils and drinks. The sayings we have featured will allow you to discuss your preferences, excessive happiness and anger. How’s that? Let’s look closely to explore:

• Not my cup of tea — you can say this phrase when you simply want to specify that you don’t like something. This idiom has many forms and can also be used to express liking for something.

  I tried to read the book you recommended, but I’m not sure that this is my cup of tea. It has too many descriptions.

• A tempest in a teacup — refers to too intense reactions to a problem that is not very serious.

    The argument between different departments of our company is a tempest in a tea cup. My colleagues can’t share the microwave.

• In your cups — an old phrase that is mostly used to describe that someone is drunk or intoxicated, out of their mind.

    Don’t listen to him. He is in his cups, and when he is in this state, he can’t control what he says.

• A cup runneth over — can be used to tell that someone experiences so many happy events that they can’t endure them.

    He got married, received a promotion, and published a book during one month. His cup runneth over.

You can define a cup and know more about it than its direct use. A collection of diverse exercises will help you practice your understanding and memorize the word and its collocations better. 

It is now known how to say “cup” in English, but how does the pronunciation differ in other popular languages? Let’s see:

Millions of cups are used every day, and stories about them appear. They are not just things we use to drink water and tea, but are part of the cultural heritage of many countries. Discover more from the interesting facts we have collected to know more than what a cup means:

• The greatest coffee pyramid was constructed using 23,821 cups.

  The Indian Institute of Management Technology used almost 30,000 paper coffee cups to build a pyramid in 2016. The achievement was recognized by the Guinness World Records. Cups are frequently used for creating mosaics, pyramids, and other paper constructions.

• The biggest ever made cup is a tourist attraction in California.

  Created for promotional purposes, a great cup became one of Riverside’s landmarks, which people can visit and look at. It is 68 feet tall and made of concrete, so it is not really easy to throw it away.

• Chinese ceremony cups are very small. They hold only 20-30 ml.

  You can think: Is it even worth serving tea when a cup is so small? The secret is that during a Chinese tea ceremony, people drink several tea pours, savoring the taste and enjoying its gradually fading smell and taste until it becomes a memory.

• Cups appeared thousands of years ago.

  Chinese, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations of ancient times used cups. Somewhere, they were items reserved for the privileged. Speaking of kitchen utensils, cups are considered one of the oldest.

A cup, whether filled or empty, makes writers, artists, and actors think about its quality that goes beyond drinking. It is tied to the drinks it can hold and causes warm and pleasant emotions. You can see it yourself:

— C. S. Lewis

Explanation: The famous creator of The Chronicles of Narnia once said that it was impossible to find a book that would satisfy his desire to read completely and the cup of tea that would reduce his thirst for this drink.

— Ray Bradbury

Explanation: This legendary American author had a knack for inspiring and encouraging people to pursue their dreams. He beautifully said that we have the ability to astonish the world if only we find a way to do so and open our hearts.

— Cole Hauser

Explanation: An actor, who played in various films, including Good Will Hunting, Tears of the Sun and Yellowstone, stated that he treated people as individuals without painting everyone with the same brush.