INCENSE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Incense

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/ɪnsˈɛns/ /ˈɪnsˌɛns/ Listen

noun

Incense n.

1.

The perfume or odors exhaled from spices and gums when burned in celebrating religious rites or as an offering to some deity. "A thick cloud of incense went up."

2.

The materials used for the purpose of producing a perfume when burned, as fragrant gums, spices, frankincense, etc. "Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon."

3.

Also used figuratively. "Or heap the shrine of luxury and pride, With incense kindled at the Muse's flame."

Incense tree, the name of several balsamic trees of the genus Bursera (or Icica) mostly tropical American. The gum resin is used for incense. In Jamaica the Chrysobalanus Icaco, a tree related to the plums, is called incense tree.

Incense wood, the fragrant wood of the tropical American tree Bursera heptaphylla.

verb

Incense v. t. (past & past part. incensed; pres. part. incensing)

1.

To set on fire; to inflame; to kindle; to burn. (Obs.) "Twelve Trojan princes wait on thee, and labor to incense Thy glorious heap of funeral."

2.

To inflame with anger; to enrage; to endkindle; to fire; to incite; to provoke; to heat; to madden. "The people are incensed him."

Synonyms: To enrage; exasperate; provoke; anger; irritate; heat; fire; instigate.

Incense v. t. (past & past part. incensed; pres. part. incensing)

1.

To offer incense to. See Incense. (Obs.)

2.

To perfume with, or as with, incense. "Incensed with wanton sweets."

See images of 'Incense'

Etymology of 'Incense'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Incense" Quotes from Famous Books

... others are asking for beauty or fame, Or praying to know that for which they should pray, Or courting Queen Venus, that affable dame, Or chasing the Muses the weary and grey, The sage has found out a more excellent way— To Pan and to Pallas his incense he showers, And his humble petition puts up day by day, For a house full of books, ...

— A Book for All Readers • Ainsworth Rand Spofford

... knocked up yesterday in a good cause. We went to see Mr. Ruskin at Herne Hill. I find him far more personally lovable than I had expected. Of course he lives in the incense of an adoring circle, but he is absolutely unaffected himself, and with a GREAT charm. So much gentler and more refined than I had expected, and such ...

— Juliana Horatia Ewing And Her Books • Horatia K. F. Eden

... existence. It was free to move from place to place upon earth at will, and it could enter heaven and hold converse with the gods. The offerings made in, the tombs at all periods were intended for the nourishment of the KA, and it was supposed to be able to eat and drink and to enjoy the odour of incense. In the earliest times a certain portion of the tomb was set apart for the use of the KA, and the religious organization of the period ordered that a class of priests should perform ceremonies and recite prayers ...

— Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life • E. A. Wallis Budge

... tears into a twenty-five dollar handkerchief, and then giving a two-cent piece to the collection, thrusting it down under the bills, so people will not know but it was a ten-dollar gold piece! One hundred dollars for incense to fashion—two cents for God! God gives us ninety cents out of every dollar. The other ten cents, by command of His Bible, belong to Him. Is not God liberal according to this tithing system laid down in the ...

— The Wedding Ring - A Series of Discourses for Husbands and Wives and Those - Contemplating Matrimony • T. De Witt Talmage

... I was treated with great circumstance and worshipped like a god by the highest in the city, who came in to do me reverence and burned incense before me, till I was weary of the smell of it, for though such sorrow was on the land, the priests would abate no jot of their ceremonies or cruelties, and great hopes were held that I being of the race of ...

— Montezuma's Daughter • H. Rider Haggard

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