cupel

American  

[kyoo-puhl, kyoo-pel] / ˈkyu pəl, kyuˈpɛl /

noun

1. a small, cuplike, porous container, usually made of bone ash, used in assaying, as for separating gold and silver from lead.

2. a receptacle or furnace bottom in which silver is refined.

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verb (used with object)

cupeled, cupeling, cupelled, cupelling

1. to heat or refine in a cupel.

cupel British  

/ kjʊˈpɛl, ˈkjuːpəl /

noun

1. a refractory pot in which gold or silver is refined

2. a small porous bowl made of bone ash in which gold and silver are recovered from a lead button during assaying

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verb

1. (tr) to refine (gold or silver) by means of cupellation

Other Word Forms

• cupeler noun
• cupellation noun
• cupeller noun

Etymology

Origin of cupel

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin cūpella, equivalent to Latin cūp ( a ) tub + -ella diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

Transfer to a small smooth cupel and place in the muffle.

From A Text-book of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines. by Beringer, Cornelius

Then take the beads out of the cupel and clean them of dross.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

The button is taken out, purged of slag, and placed in a cupel, where the gold is separated from the lead.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

Tin which contains silver should not at the beginning of the assay be placed in a cupel, lest the silver, as often happens, be consumed and converted into fumes, together with the tin.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

The gold which remains is re-heated with stibium, and when this is exhaled the gold is heated for the third time in a cupel with a fourth part of lead, and then quenched.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius