1. refining precious metals by heating them in a small porous cup to separate pure metal from impurities
Usage: metallurgy; technical

Examples

• The jeweler was cupelling the silver to remove any lead contamination.
• Cupelling requires extremely high temperatures to be effective.
• Ancient metalworkers developed cupelling techniques to purify gold.
• The assayer spent hours cupelling the ore samples.
• Cupelling involves using bone ash cupels to absorb base metals.
• The process of cupelling separates precious metals from dross.