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cen·ser

(sĕnsər)

A vessel in which incense is burned, especially during religious services.

[Middle English, short for encenser, from Anglo-Norman encensier, from encens, incense, from Old French; see INCENSE².]

(click for a larger image)

censer

Pope Benedict XVI using

a censer

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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