Word
incense
Phoneticsin·cense
/ˈɪnˌsɛns/
Definition
n. a substance that you burn to produce a sweet or pleasant smell. It is often used during religious ceremonies or to make a room feel calm.
n. a substance, often in the form of a stick or powder, that emits a fragrant smoke when burned. Frequently associated with liturgical or meditative practices.
Examples
“The room smelled of sweet incense.”
“The priest swung a metal container to spread the smoke of the burning incense throughout the church.”
“While many use incense simply for its pleasant aroma, various cultures maintain that the rising smoke serves as a symbolic bridge between the physical world and the spiritual realm.”
Examples
simple
“The room smelled of sweet incense.”
contextual
“The priest swung a metal container to spread the smoke of the burning incense throughout the church.”
complex
“While many use incense simply for its pleasant aroma, various cultures maintain that the rising smoke serves as a symbolic bridge between the physical world and the spiritual realm.”
Etymology
From Middle English encens, from Old French encens (“sweet-smelling substance”) from Late Latin incensum (“burnt incense”, literally “something burnt”), neuter past participle of incendō (“to set on fire”). Compare incendiary. Doublet of incienso.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/incense