cupping

SayKUP-ing/ˈkʌpɪŋ/

Pluralcuppings (some meanings)

6 meanings of cupping

1
noununcountable
A treatment where warm glass cups are placed on the skin to pull blood near the surface.
Like a warm cup gently sucking at your skin.
The therapist heated the glass cups before beginning the cupping on his back.
After the cupping, round red marks dotted her shoulders.
Note
2
noununcountable
The act of shaping something so it curves inward like a cup.
Like curving your hand to hold water.
The cupping of her palms created a small bowl for the water.
A slight cupping of the metal sheet gave it a curved edge.
3
nouncountable or uncountable
Tasting a small sip of a drink like tea or coffee to judge its flavor.
Like taking a tiny taste of food to see if you like it.
The buyers gathered for a cupping to compare this year's beans.
She learned proper cupping during her training as a barista.
Similartasting
4
verb
Present participle of cup. Use this -ing form when the action is happening right now.
She was cupping the warm mug in both hands.
He sat cupping his chin while he thought about the answer.
Note

Less common meanings

5
nounarchaicuncountable
An old medical method of drawing blood to or from the skin by making a vacuum over the spot.
Like pulling juice up a straw, but using suction on the skin.
The surgeon recommended cupping to ease the patient's fever.
After the bloodletting failed, they tried cupping on his shoulders.
Note
6
nounarchaicuncountable
An old method of pulling pus out of an abscess by making a vacuum over it.
Like sucking liquid out through a straw, but over a sore spot on the skin.
The doctor used cupping to draw the infection from the swollen wound.
Cupping cleared the abscess on his leg after days of pain.
Note

cupping is a form of cup

cup, verb: To curve your hands into a bowl shape, or to hold something in them that way. Full entry

Forms: cupcups he/she/itcupping -ing formcupped past tense, past participle
Spelling: cup → cupping: double the p, add -ing

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–3, 5–6

From Middle English cupping, made from cup plus -ing.

Meaning 4

From cup plus -ing.