incense

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 (“I set on fire”). Compare incendiary. Cognate with Spanish encender and incienso.

• Noun:
  • enPR: ĭn'sĕns, IPA^(key): /ˈɪnsɛns/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Verb:
  • enPR: ĭnsĕns', IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɛns/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

incense (countable and uncountable, plural incenses)

1. A perfume used in the rites of various religions.
2. (figuratively) Homage; adulation.

• joss stick, incense stick

• incense boat
• incense cedar

incense (third-person singular simple present incenses, present participle incensing, simple past and past participle incensed)

1. (transitive) To anger or infuriate.

   I think it would incense him to learn the truth.

2. (archaic) To incite, stimulate.
3. (transitive) To offer incense to.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

4. (transitive) To perfume with, or as with, incense.
   • Marston

     Incensed with wanton sweetes.

   • 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History

     Neither, for the future, shall any man or woman, self-styled noble, be incensed, — foolishly fumigated with incense, in Church; as the wont has been.

5. (obsolete) To set on fire; to inflame; to kindle; to burn.
   • Chapman

     Twelve Trojan princes wait on thee, and labour to incense / Thy glorious heap of funeral.

• Nicenes

incēnse

1. vocative masculine singular of incēnsus

• incense in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• incense in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• incense in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• incense in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎
• incense in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

incense

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of incensar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of incensar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of incensar.
4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of incensar.