incense | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

14 entries found.

"to offer incense, perfume with incense, fumigate (something) with incense," late 13c., encensen, incensen, from incense (n.) or from Old French encenser (11c.), or directly from Medieval Latin incensare.

incense (n.)

late 13c., "gum or other substance producing a sweet smell when burned," from Old French encens (12c.), from Late Latin incensum "burnt incense," literally "that which is burnt," noun use of neuter past participle of Latin incendere "set on fire" (see incendiary). Meaning "smoke or perfume of incense" is from late 14c.

incense (v.1)

early 15c., encensen "to arouse, inspire," from Old French incenser, from Latin incensare, frequentative of incendere "set on fire," figuratively "incite, enrage, rouse" (see incendiary). From mid-15c. as "to provoke, anger." Literal sense "to heat, make (something) hot" is from c. 1500 in English but is rare.

incensed (adj.)

"full of wrath, inflamed with anger," 1590s, past-participle adjective from incense (v.1). Earlier it was used in heraldry, in reference to fire-breathing animals (1570s). Distinguished in pronunciation from incensed "perfumed with incense" (1610s), from incense (v.2).

incensation (n.)

"action of perfuming," 1851, noun of action from incense (v.2).

cense (v.)

"to perfume with burning incense," late 14c., a shortened form of incense (v.2). Related: Censed; censing.

censer (n.)

"vessel used for burning incense before an altar," mid-13c., from Old French censier, a shortened form of encensier, from encens "incense" (see incense (n.)).

frankincense (n.)

aromatic gum resin from a certain type of tree, used anciently as incense and in religious rituals, late 14c., apparently from Old French franc encense, from franc "noble, true" (see frank (adj.)), in this case probably signifying "pure" or "of the highest quality," + encens "incense" (see incense (n.)).

punk (n.1)

"Chinese incense," 1870, according to OED from punk (n.) "rotten wood used as tinder;" for which see punk (adj.).

sandalwood (n.)

1510s, earlier simply sandell (late 14c.), saundres (early 14c.), "the wood of the heart and roots of certain species of trees native to Asia," from Old French sandale, from Medieval Latin sandalum, from Late Greek santalon, which is ultimately from Sanskrit čandana-m "the sandalwood tree," perhaps literally "wood for burning incense," related to candrah "shining, glowing," and cognate with Latin candere "to shine, glow" (see candle). In China it was burnt extensively as incense in temples and homes. Sandalwood oil, distilled from the wood of some species, is strongly aromatic and used in perfumes and cosmetics.

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