cupping-glass

A doctor places a cupping-glass on a patient's back.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Medical instrument: A "cupping-glass" is a glass vessel used in the medical practice of cupping, where it is heated or suctioned onto the skin to draw blood or create a vacuum for therapeutic purposes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor applied a cupping-glass to the patient's back to relieve muscle tension. (A glass vessel used in cupping therapy.)
  • Ancient healers often used a cupping-glass to treat various ailments. (A traditional medical instrument.)

Advanced Usage

• "to apply a cupping-glass": to use this instrument in a medical procedure.

  • The practitioner carefully applied a cupping-glass to the sore area. (She placed the glass on the skin to create suction.)

• "cupping-glass therapy": the practice of using a cupping-glass for treatment.

  • Cupping-glass therapy is still used in some alternative medicine traditions. (The therapeutic method involving this instrument.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cupping (n): the medical practice of using a cupping-glass.

  • Cupping is an ancient technique that involves placing heated cups on the skin. (The procedure itself.)

• Glass (n): the material from which a cupping-glass is made.

  • The cupping-glass is typically made of thick glass to withstand heat. (The substance used in its construction.)

Synonyms

• Suction cup: a device that creates a vacuum by adhering to a surface (though not specifically medical).
• Venting glass: a less common term for a glass used in cupping.

Related Idioms

• "to cup someone": (idiomatic, from cupping) to treat someone using a cupping-glass.

  • The therapist cupped him to ease his back pain. (Applied a cupping-glass to his skin.)

• "cupping marks": the circular bruises left by a cupping-glass.

  • The cupping marks on her shoulders were visible after the session. (The red or purple spots from the suction.)