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Are "cup" and "glass" the same in English? Can I call a "glass" a cup made of plastic?

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Cups and mugs generally have handles. Glasses and beakers generally don't. There are exceptions (like beer glasses, which are glasses even when they have handles). – Andrew Leach Jul 24 '12 at 13:28
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A dictionary definition for cup reads: A concave vessel for drinking from, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass). The equivalent for glass reads: A vessel from which one drinks, especially one made of glass, plastic, or similar translucent or semi-translucent material. – coleopterist Jul 24 '12 at 13:30
I know this isn't the technical definition, but when I hear "cup" I think of a short cylindrical container with a handle, as in a coffee cup or a tea cup. When I hear "glass" I think of a taller, more conical container without a handle, as in a glass of water or a glass of beer. – Kevin Jul 24 '12 at 15:04
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Isn't a glass made out of glass? And a cup is not? – Mitch Jul 24 '12 at 15:55
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I think this is a case where a general reference question nevertheless has an interesting answer that is not covered very well by most reference sources: when does shape take precedence (so that a plastic glass-shaped drinking vessel is just a "glass") and when does material take precedence (so that if it's made of plastic, it can only ever be a "cup", even if its shape is identical to a glass)? – Marthaª Jul 24 '12 at 16:45
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5 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

The shapes are variable, but the meanings converge on Prototypes.

In a classic set of experiments in 1973, Labov showed how this works with cup and mug.

Labov, William. 1973. 'The Boundaries of Words and Their Meanings' in R. Fasold (ed), Variation in the Form and Use of Language: A Sociolinguistics Reader. Georgetown University Press, 1983.

To summarize the relevant points, no, cup and glass are not the same in English. Yes, you can call a cup made of plastic a glass, depending on the context.

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Fascinating. But for those of us how have just a little more time, could you expand on that a little? ;-) By the way, I had a look at your archive of alt.usage.english postings. Learnt a lot. Thanks! – Pitarou Jul 25 '12 at 5:01
up vote 5 down vote

The crucial, and rather obvious, difference is that a cup is normally made of earthenware or porcelain and a glass is made of, well, glass.

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That is certainly the etymology of the words, but today, if short and has a handle, it's a cup; if it's tall or lacks a handle, it's a glass, regardless of construction. – Malvolio Jul 24 '12 at 15:19
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@Malvolio: Not, at least in the case of a glass, where I live. – Barrie England Jul 24 '12 at 15:32
well, where do you live? (Barrie Olde England? Sorry...) – Malvolio Jul 24 '12 at 15:33
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@Marthaª: You were clearly never a boy scout or in the British army. – Barrie England Jul 24 '12 at 17:50
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@Barrie: Yes -- a metal mug, white enamel with a blue rim and handle. I remember. At least, I remember my father's. – Andrew Leach Jul 24 '12 at 18:00
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up vote 4 down vote

No a cup and a glass are different shapes.

Even a copy of a glass, the same shape and size, made of plastic is called a glass. So if you buy beer but want to take it outside to drink in the beer-garden you normally have to have it in a plastic glass

cite: Pubs warn over plastic pints plan

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I don't agree. Unless it's made of glass or something very similar to glass that shatters, I'd be inclined to call it a cup or beaker. – Jez Jul 24 '12 at 14:53
I don't think you would be understood if you went into a pub and asked for a beaker of beer. – mgb Jul 24 '12 at 14:57
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No, but we don't ask for a glass of beer here either - we ask for a pint or something. – Jez Jul 24 '12 at 15:12
I'd call a clear (or colored but transparent) plastic cup a glass, particularly if it is made from thick plastic. – KitFox♦ Jul 24 '12 at 19:11
up vote 4 down vote

To me, a cup is a general term. Mugs are a type of cup with thick sides and a often a handle. I would call beer steins or coffee mugs specializations of this type. A glass is a type of cup, usually glass, often with thinner sides and usually no handle, but it may or may not have a stem. A tumbler doesn't have a stem. A wine glass does. I guess a paper cup might be considered a tumbler, but it's not a glass.

Bottles, jugs, and thermoses are containers for drinks but not cups.

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up vote 2 down vote

The difference is that a cup is stouter and a glass is narrower. You might say that the cup more closely approximates a cube, but the glass a (tall) cylinder.

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