Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

cup

2 verb
     
cup2 past tense and past participle cupped, present participle cupping [transitive]
1 to hold something in your hands, so that your hands form part of a circle around it:
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
Luke was sitting at his desk, one hand cupping his chin.
2

cup your hand(s)

to make a shape like a cup with your hand or hands:
He struck a match and cupped his hand around the flame.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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