Log in or Sign up
  1. incense love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To cause to be extremely angry; infuriate.
  2. n. An aromatic substance, such as wood or a gum, that is burned to produce a pleasant odor.
  3. n. The smoke or odor produced by the burning of such a substance.
  4. n. A pleasant smell.
  5. n. Flattering or fawning attention; homage.
  6. v. To perfume with incense.
  7. v. To burn incense to, as a ritual offering.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To set on fire; cause to burn; inflame; kindle.
  2. To make hot or eager; enkindle; incite; stimulate.
  3. In particular To burn as incense; use in burning incense.
  4. To enkindle or excite to anger or other passion; inflame; make angry; provoke.
  5. Synonyms Irritate, Provoke, etc. (see exasperate), offend, anger, chafe, nettle, gall.
  6. n. Any aromatic material, as certain gums, which exhales perfume during combustion; a mixture of fragrant gums, spices, etc., with gum-resin, compounded for the purpose of producing a sweet odor when burned. The substance most generally used for incense, and therefore often specifically so called, is olibanum or frankincense. (See olibanum.) The burning of incense as an act of worship existed among the Jews, and is practised in both the Eastern and Western churches of the present day, as well as by Buddhists and others.
  7. n. The perfume or scented fumes arising from an odoriferous substance, as frankincense, during combustion; the odor of spices and gums burned as an act of worship in some religious systems.
  8. n. Any grateful odor, as of flowers; agreeable perfume or fragrance.
  9. n. Figuratively, gratifying admiration or attention; flattering regard and deference; homage; adulation.
  10. To perfume with incense.
  11. To offer incense to; worship; flatter extravagantly.
  12. To burn or offer incense.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A perfume often used in the rites of various religions.
  2. v. transitive To anger or infuriate.
  3. v. archaic To incite, stimulate.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. obsolete To set on fire; to inflame; to kindle; to burn.
  2. v. To inflame with anger; to enrage; to endkindle; to fire; to incite; to provoke; to heat; to madden.
  3. v. obsolete To offer incense to. See Incense.
  4. v. To perfume with, or as with, incense.
  5. n. The perfume or odors exhaled from spices and gums when burned in celebrating religious rites or as an offering to some deity.
  6. n. The materials used for the purpose of producing a perfume when burned, as fragrant gums, spices, frankincense, etc.
  7. n. Also used figuratively.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. make furious
  2. v. perfume especially with a censer
  3. n. a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
  4. n. the pleasing scent produced when incense is burned

Etymologies

  1. From Old French encens ("sweet-smelling substance") from Late Latin incensum ("burnt incense", literally "something burnt"), neuter past participle of incendō ("I set on fire"). Compare incendiary. (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English encensen, from Old French incenser, from Late Latin incēnsāre, to sacrifice, burn, from Latin incēnsus, past participle of incendere, to set on fire; see kand- in Indo-European roots.Middle English encens, from Old French, from Latin incēnsum, from neuter past participle of incendere, to set on fire; see kand- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘incense’.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • fbharjo sweet smoke and mirrors??? glowing coals??? Jun 22, 2007

  • reesetee That's one of the fun things about listing a word. Everyone adds it for a different reason. I like the verb "incense" better than the noun too, arby, but I think I'll keep this version. :-) Jun 22, 2007

  • arby I love this word but I was just thinking yesterday about how I like the verb form even better than the noun - so to that end I'm going to list incensed if it hasn't been already. Jun 22, 2007

Tweets

Looking for tweets for incense.

‘incense’ has been looked up 3111 times, loved by 4 people, added to 45 lists, commented on 3 times, and has a Scrabble score of 9.