— cupeler /kyooh"peuh leuhr/ , cupeller /kyooh pel"euhr/ , n. — cupellation , n.
/kyooh"peuhl, kyooh pel"/ , n. , v. , cupeled, cupeling or ( esp. Brit. ) cupelled, cupelling .
n.
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.
v.t.
3. to heat or refine in a cupel.
[ 1595-1605; cupella, equiv. to L cup ( a ) tub + -ella dim. suffix ]