Coffee Cup of Coffee

What’s the difference between a coffee cup and a cup of coffee? A coffee cup is the container which is meant for coffee, with or without coffee inside. A cup of coffee is a coffee cup with coffee inside. I

n other words, in coffee cup, coffee is a noun acting as an adjective to describe the cup, forming what is known as a compound noun. Whereas in a cup of coffee, cup is a unit of measurement for what is contained inside. 

The handle on this coffee cup is broken.

Can I have another cup of coffee, please?

This can happen in other situations, where a particular unit is intended for a particular end. Can you see the difference? Check out the examples below. And be careful what you ask for next time!

tea pot                         pot of tea

wine glass                    glass of wine
sugar spoon                  spoon of sugar
soup bowl                    bowl of soup
water bottle                  bottle of water
cookie jar                     jar of cookies
flower vase                   vase of flowers
gas tank                       tank of gas