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Webster 1913 Edition

Cupel

Cu′pel

(kū′pĕl)
,
Noun.
[LL.
cupella
cup (cf. L.
cupella
, small cask, dim. of
cupa
) : cf. F.
coupelle
. See
Cup
, and cf.
Coblet
.]
A shallow porous cup, used in refining precious metals, commonly made of bone ashes (phosphate of lime).
[Written also
coppel
.]
Cupel dust
,
powder used in purifying metals.

Cu-pel′

(kū̍-pĕl′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Cupelled
(-p?ld′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cupelling
.]
To refine by means of a cupel.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cupel

CUPEL

,
Noun.
[L., a little cup.] A small cup or vessel used in refining metals. It retains them while in a metallic state, but when changed by fire into a fluid scoria, it absorbs them. Thus when a mixture of lead with gold or silver is heated in a strong fire, the lead is oxydated and vitrified, and sinks into the substance of the cupel, while the gold or silver remains pure. This kind of vessel is made usually of phosphate of lim, or the residue of burnt bones, rammed into a mold, which gives it its figure.

Definition 2024

cupel

cupel

English

Alternative forms

Noun

cupel ‎(plural cupels)

  1. A small circular receptacle used in assaying gold or silver with lead.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

cupel ‎(third-person singular simple present cupels, present participle cupelling or cupeling, simple past and past participle cupelled or cupeled)

  1. To refine by means of a cupel.

Translations

Etymology

Borrowing from French coupelle, Medieval Latin cūpella, diminutive of Latin cūpa ‎(“cask”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkjuːpəl/

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