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censer

American

[sen-ser] / ˈsɛn sər /

noun

a container, usually covered, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services; thurible.

censer British

/ ˈsɛnsə /

noun

Also called: thurible. a container for burning incense, esp one swung at religious ceremonies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of censer

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, aphetic variant of ensenser < Medieval Latin incensārium. See incense ¹, -er ²

Compare meaning

How does censer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

censer vs. thurible

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A Russian Orthodox priest said prayers and swung a censer before Chekalov's coffin, and mourners stepped forward to kiss it.

From Reuters • Aug. 29, 2023

The young priest prayed and swung his censer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2022

In a gallery evoking a church nave, where a 15th-century gilded silver German censer is displayed, they smell the ecclesiastical incense it would have dispensed.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2017

Abramovic just lit the candles and swung the censer.

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2015

Taking her purse as they walked along, he swung it by its strap, pretending it was a censer.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023