Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (1)
1.
a treatment in which evacuated cups are applied to the skin to draw blood through the surface;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cup \Cup\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cupped (k[u^]pt); p. pr. & vb.
n. Cupping.]
1. To supply with cups of wine. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
Cup us, till the world go round. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Surg.) To apply a cupping apparatus to; to subject to the
operation of cupping. See Cupping.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Mech.) To make concave or in the form of a cup; as, to
cup the end of a screw.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cupping \Cup"ping\ (k?p"p?ng), n. (Med.)
The operation of drawing blood to or from the surface of the
person by forming a partial vacuum over the spot. Also,
sometimes, a similar operation for drawing pus from an
abscess.
[1913 Webster]
Cupping glass, a glass cup in which a partial vacuum is
produced by heat, in the process of cupping.
Dry cupping, the application of a cupping instrument
without scarification, to draw blood to the surface,
produce counter irritation, etc.
Wet cupping, the operation of drawing blood by the
application of a cupping instrument after scarification.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cupping
n 1: a treatment in which evacuated cups are applied to the skin
to draw blood through the surface
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
19 Moby Thesaurus words for "cupping":
aspiration, bleeding, bloodletting, broaching, drafting, drainage,
draining, drawing, emptying, leeching, milking, phlebotomy,
pipetting, pumping, siphoning, sucking, suction, tapping,
venesection