incense means biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons. It carries an Arena rating of 1498, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, incense ranks #2,200 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,525 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words.
incense is pronounced /ˈɪnsɛns/.
Why “incense” is a great word
A material, typically a gum or resin, that produces fragrant smoke when burned, used for its scent or in ceremony; or, to make violently angry. From Middle English *encens*, from Old French *encens*, from Late Latin *incensum* ("burnt incense," literally "something burnt"), neuter past participle of *incendō* ("to set on fire"), first attested in English c. late 13th century. Unlike "perfume" (a scent worn on the skin) or "enrage" (a blunt fury), incense carries the full chemistry of combustion in both meanings. It is the frankincense crumbling into a censer, the thin blue thread rising through cathedral light, and the sudden heat that climbs the throat when a word sets the blood alight—a reminder that what consecrates can also consume.
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. Displaced native Old English rēcels.
noun
- Biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons.
- The fragrant smoke released by burning incense (sense 1).“When the folding-doors were on such solemn occasions thrown open, and the new Abbot appeared on the threshold in full-blown dignity, with ring and mitre, and dalmatique and crosier, his hoary standard-bearers and his juvenile dispensers of incense preceding him, and the venerable train of monks behind him, with all besides which could announce the supreme authority to which he was now raised, his ”
- Homage; adulation.
verb
- To set on fire; to inflame; to kindle; to burn.“Twelve Trojan princes wait on thee, and labour to incense / Thy glorious heap of funeral.”
- To anger or infuriate.“I think it would incense him to learn the truth.”
- To incite, stimulate.
- To offer incense to.“And after this Almachius hastily
Bad his ministres fecchen openly
Cecile, so that she mighte in his presence
Doon sacrifyce, and Iupiter encense.
And after this, Almachius hastily
Ordered his ministers to fetch publicly
Cecile, so that she might in his presence
Do sacrifice and burn incense to Jupiter.”
- To perfume with, or as with, incense.“To haue her bound, incenſed with wanton ſweetes, / Her vaines fild hie with heating delicates, / […] / O Ithaca can chaſteſt Penelope hold out.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- frankincense 86% match — A type of incense obtained from the Boswellia thurifera tree. vs incense →
- olibanum 85% match — A gum resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, formerly used as a medicine and now mainly as incense. vs incense →
- perfume 85% match — A pleasant smell; the scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor. vs incense →
- thurification 85% match — The act, or an instance, of burning incense. vs incense →
- censer 85% match — An ornamental container for burning incense, especially during religious ceremonies. vs incense →
- thurible 84% match — A censer, especially one hanging on a chain. vs incense →
- myrrh 83% match — A red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of a tree of the genus Commiphora, especially Commiphora myrrha, used as perfume, incense or medicine. vs incense →
- insense 83% match — To make to understand; to instruct. vs incense →