cupel (redirected from cupelling)

cu·pel  (kypl, ky-pl)

n.

1. A porous cup, often made of bone ash, used in assaying to separate precious metals from base elements such as lead.

2. The bottom or receptacle in a silver-refining furnace.

tr.v. cu·peled or cu·pelled, cu·pel·ing or cu·pel·ling, cu·pels

To assay or separate from base metals in a cupel.

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[French coupelle, from Old French, diminutive of coupe, cup, from Late Latin cuppa, drinking vessel.]

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cupel·ler, cupel·er n.

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cupel [ˈkjuːp^əl kjʊˈpɛl]

n

1. (Engineering / Metallurgy) a refractory pot in which gold or silver is refined

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

vb -pels, -pelling, -pelled US, -pels -peling, -peled

(Engineering / Metallurgy) (tr) to refine (gold or silver) by means of cupellation

[from French coupelle, diminutive of coupe cup]

cupeller  n

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

cupel - a small porous bowl made of bone ash used in assaying to separate precious metals from e.g. lead bone-ash cup, refractory pot vessel - an object used as a container (especially for liquids)