thurible

English

A thurible

Etymology

Originated 1400–50 from late Middle English turrible, from thoryble, from Latin thūribulum (“censer”), equivalent to thūs (“incense”) (root: thūr-) (from Ancient Greek θύος (thúos, “burnt offering”)) + -bulum (“instrumental suffix”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/

Noun

thurible (plural thuribles)

1. A censer, especially one hanging on a chain.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     […] and then Father Conroy handed the thurible to Canon O’Hanlon and he put in the incense and censed the Blessed Sacrament […] .

   • 1981, Dennis G. Michno, A Manual for Acolytes, Episcopal Church (Morehouse Publishing), page 55,

     The celebrant may fill the thurible with incense before the entrance, or may instruct the thurifer to do so.

   • 1997, Bernard MacLaverty, 'Grace Notes' (novel), (Part 1, at page 57 in the 1998 Vintage paperback edition):

     The young priest took the thurible from the altar boy and moved along the coffin. The metal of the container chinked against the chains at each flicking movement. Although the blue smoke disappeared quickly, Catherine smelled it all around her in the porch.

   • 1998, David Philippart, Serve God with Gladness: A Manual for Servers, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago (Liturgy Training Publications), page 41,

     If you are carrying a bowl thurible, hold it with both hands. Hold it away from your body. Gently move it back and forth to send the smoke up.

     If you are carrying a thurible on a chain in procession, let it swing gently at your side.

Related terms

• thurifer

Translations

censer — see censer

References

• “thurible”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “thurible”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "thurible" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.