Cupel
/ˈkjuːpəl/noun
A small porous cup used in assaying to separate precious metals from base metals by oxidation.
Did you know?The word comes through Middle English and Old French from Medieval Latin *cupella*, a diminutive form tied to a “small vessel,” and the object itself was central to alchemy and metallurgy because it let precious metal survive fire.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
cuppa
“A cup or drinking vessel.”
Medieval Latin
ML
cupella
“A small cup or vessel.”
Old French
OF
copelle
“A small cup or assay vessel.”
Middle English
ME
cupel
“A porous vessel used in metal assaying.”
Modern English
EN
cupel
“A small porous cup used to refine precious metals.”