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Convert cups to mL

Please provide values below to convert cup [cup] to milliliter [mL], or vice versa.

1 Cup = 236.588 Milliliters
Formula: Cups / 0.004227 = Milliliters

Cup

Definition: A cup (symbol: cup) is a unit of volume used in cooking and serving size information. In the United States, one cup is defined as exactly 236.5882365 milliliters (or approximately 8 US fluid ounces), while the metric cup used in many countries is 250 milliliters.

History/origin: The cup as a measurement unit dates back centuries across various cultures, each with their own versions. The standardization of the cup occurred gradually throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries as cooking methods became more precise. In the United States, the cup was officially defined as half a US liquid pint. Other countries adopted the metric cup of 250 mL during metrication efforts to standardize cooking measurements internationally.

Current use: Cups remain widely used in cooking and baking, particularly in North America where recipes frequently specify ingredients by volume rather than weight. The cup is a practical unit for home cooks as it's easy to visualize and measure without specialized equipment. There are three primary definitions in use globally: the US customary cup (236.59 mL), the metric cup (250 mL), and the imperial cup (284.13 mL). This variation can sometimes cause confusion in international recipes, which is why many modern cookbooks include both volume and weight measurements.

Milliliter

Definition: A milliliter (symbol: mL) is a unit of volume in the metric system, equal to one-thousandth of a liter. It corresponds to 1 cubic centimeter (cm³) and is approximately equivalent to 0.03381 fluid ounces in the US customary system.

History/origin: The milliliter derives from the liter, a fundamental unit in the metric system that was established during the French Revolution. The prefix "milli-" comes from the Latin word "mille," meaning "one thousand," indicating that a milliliter is one-thousandth of a liter. The metric system, including the liter and its subdivisions, was developed to create a decimal-based, standardized measurement system that would be more practical and universal than the varied traditional systems in use at the time.

Current use: The milliliter is one of the most commonly used volume measurements worldwide. It's the standard unit for measuring small amounts of liquids in medicine (dosages), cooking (ingredients), laboratory work, and consumer products. Most countries use milliliters in everyday contexts, and even in the United States, where customary units predominate, milliliters are standard for many applications including pharmaceuticals, nutrition information, and scientific contexts. Its precise nature makes it ideal for applications requiring accuracy, such as chemistry and medicine.