cupel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a small porous bowl made of bone ash used in assaying to separate precious metals from e.g. lead
    refractory pot; bone-ash cup.

WordNet

Cu"pel noun
Etymology
LL. cupella cup (cf. L. cupella, small cask, dim. of cupa) : cf. F. coupelle. See Cup, and cf. Coblet.
Definitions
  1. A shallow porus cup, used in refining precious metals, commonly made of bone ashes (phosphate of lime). Written also coppel.
Cu*pel" transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Cupelled present participle & verbal noun Cupelling
Definitions
  1. To refine by means of a cupel.

Webster 1913