Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A vessel in which incense is burned, especially during religious services.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A vessel in which incense is burned before an altar.
- noun A fire-pan in which perfumes were burned to sweeten the atmosphere, having its lid perforated, and sometimes decorated with figures and designs in open-work.
- noun One who formerly paid cense-money. See
censure , n., 5.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A vessel for perfumes; esp. one in which incense is burned.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An ornamental container for burning
incense , especially during religious ceremonies. - noun A person who
censes , a person who perfumes with incense
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a container for burning incense (especially one that is swung on a chain in a religious ritual)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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“It's called a censer and it's silver, not steel,” he says, just to show how smart he is.
Midnight Mass Paul Hargreaves 2010
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A thurible (for my non-high-church readers) is also called a censer, the incense pot on the end of chains, used in worship.
trinityboy Diary Entry trinityboy 2006
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A censer is a container in which incense is burned.
Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage PAUL R. MARTIN 2002
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A censer is a container in which incense is burned.
Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage PAUL R. MARTIN 2002
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A censer is a metal vessel with a pierced lid in which incense is burned during church services.
A Handbook of Symbols in Christian Art Gertrude Grace Sill 1975
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A censer is a metal vessel with a pierced lid in which incense is burned during church services.
A Handbook of Symbols in Christian Art Gertrude Grace Sill 1975
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The censer is a piece of church furniture in constant use in the
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Their figures moving under the arbour of old trees were like red and silver poppies blown by the wind, or wonderful tropical birds astray in the woods: and a glint of sunshine striking the censer was a thin chain of gold linking it to the sky.
The Guests Of Hercules M. Leone Bracker 1901
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(Statue of Shamash), thou shalt place thereon 4 jugs of sesame wine, thou shalt set thereon 3 x 12 loaves of wheat, thou shalt add a mixture of honey and butter and sprinkle with salt: a table thou shalt place behind the censer which is before the Storm-God (Statue of Adad) and behind the censer which is before Merodach.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 11: New Mexico-Philip 1840-1916 1913
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A table thou shalt place behind the censer which is before the Sun-God
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 11: New Mexico-Philip 1840-1916 1913
reesetee commented on the word censer
A vessel, usually covered, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services. Also thurible.
July 19, 2007
arby commented on the word censer
A much nicer word than censor!
July 24, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
Very true. Amazing what one letter will do to change a word. :-)
July 24, 2007
slumry commented on the word censer
I swear, every time I read about cencers, they are being swung by the priest.
July 26, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
Better than censors being swung by a priest....
July 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word censer
"Put me down, you froozing motherlover!"
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word censer
A funny image, R. . .I wonder what the priest's motivation in swinging censors would be. . .would such swinging punish the censor or the congregants? "Church was grim today. I was censor-whipped."
July 26, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
Both, I'd imagine. Yikes. This is getting a bit too kinky for me. ;-)
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word censer
Yes, my mother always warned me to avoid sacrilege. Chastened.
July 26, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
No, no--that wasn't directed at you (or anyone else, for that matter)! Just kidding around. The visual is pretty funny. Next time I'm in a church, I'm sure I'll start laughing and won't be able to stop.
And while we're on the subject, there must be a word for that phenomenon--uncontrollable laughing where laughing is not exactly acceptable. :-)
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word censer
Ah yes, that phenomenon, she blushed, recalling the upwelling of giggles at her own wedding, which was fortunately a tiny wedding.
July 26, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
Not so bad, slumry. I once got the giggles during a funeral....
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word censer
I can empathize!
July 26, 2007
oroboros commented on the word censer
And I can sympathize!
July 28, 2007
reesetee commented on the word censer
Fellow inappropriate gigglers--no wonder I feel at home here. ;-)
July 28, 2007
bilby commented on the word censer
"But only two priests were in the sacristy, one wearing blue-and-gold vestments and a second priest dressed in a long white surplice, who was trying to fix a silver censer that seemed to be broken."
- 'The Colour Of Blood', Brian Moore.
January 3, 2008