Word
joss
US/ˈdʒɔs/
UK/dʒˈɒs/
Definition
n. a Chinese religious statue or a stick of incense. People sometimes use the word to talk about luck or fate.
n. a Chinese idol or cult image; also refers to incense sticks burned before such images. In certain informal contexts, it serves as a metaphor for luck or destiny.
Examples
“The room smelled of sweet joss sticks.”
“He lit a joss stick at the family altar to honor his ancestors during the festival.”
“The old sailor believed that his survival during the storm was simply a matter of good joss, rather than any particular skill at the helm.”
Examples
simple
“The room smelled of sweet joss sticks.”
contextual
“He lit a joss stick at the family altar to honor his ancestors during the festival.”
complex
“The old sailor believed that his survival during the storm was simply a matter of good joss, rather than any particular skill at the helm.”
Usage
Often appears in the compound 'joss stick'. When referring to luck, it is typically uncountable.
Etymology
From Chinese Pidgin English joss, from Macau Pidgin Portuguese, from Portuguese deus (“god”), from Latin deus (“god”), from Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god/that which belongs to heaven”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/joss