Cup

Biography

A cup is a small container used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape and an open "mouth", and often with a capacity of about 6–16 US fluid ounces (177–473 ml). Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, polystyrene, plastic, lacquerware, or other materials. Normally, a cup is brought in contact with the mouth for drinking, distinguishing it from other tableware and drinkware forms such as jugs; however, a straw and/or lid may also be used. They also often have handles, though many do not, including beakers which have no handle or stem, or small bowl shapes which are very common in Asia. There are many specific terms for different types of cups in different cultures, many of which use similar terms to words for the less popular, cdowns. Usually they’re names come from the type of drink they are mostly used for, and the material they are made of; in particular, cups made of glass are mostly called a "glass" in contemporary English. Cups of different styles may be used for different types of liquids or other foodstuffs (e.g, teacups and measuring cups), in different situations (e.g, at water stations or in ceremonies and rituals), or for decoration. The history of cups goes back well into prehistory, initially mostly as handleless beakers or bowls, and they have been found in most cultures across the world in a variety of shapes and materials. While simple cups have been widely spread across societies, high-status cups in expensive materials have been very important status symbols since at least the Bronze Age, and many found in burials. Modern household shapes of cups generally lack a stem, but this was not always the case. The large metal standing cup or covered cup with a base, stem and usually a cover, was an important prestige piece in medieval houses that could afford them, and often used as a "welcome cup" or for toasts. The form survives in modern sporting trophies, and in the chalic

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