Hypertext Webster Gateway: "censer"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Censer
the vessel in which incense was presented on "the golden altar"
before the Lord in the temple (Ex. 30:1-9). The priest filled
the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of
burnt-offering, and having carried it into the sanctuary, there
threw upon the burning coals the sweet incense (Lev. 16:12, 13),
which sent up a cloud of smoke, filling the apartment with
fragrance. The censers in daily use were of brass (Num. 16:39),
and were designated by a different Hebrew name, _miktereth_ (2
Chr. 26:19; Ezek. 8:11): while those used on the day of
Atonement were of gold, and were denoted by a word (mahtah)
meaning "something to take fire with;" LXX. pureion = a
fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers of pure gold
(1 Kings 7:50; 2 Chr. 4:22). The angel in the Apocalypse is
represented with a golden censer (Rev. 8:3, 5). Paul speaks of
the golden censer as belonging to the tabernacle (Heb. 9:4). The
Greek word thumiaterion, here rendered "censer," may more
appropriately denote, as in the margin of Revised Version, "the
altar of incense." Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion
was in the holiest, for it was in the holy place, but that the
holiest had it, i.e., that it belonged to the holiest (1 Kings
6:22). It was intimately connected with the high priest's
service in the holiest.
The manner in which the censer is to be used is described in
Num. 4:14; Lev. 16:12.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Censer \Cen"ser\, n. [For incenser, fr. OF. encensier, F.
encensoir, fr. LL. incensarium, incensorium, fr. L. incensum
incense. See {Incense}, and cf. {Incensory}.]
A vessel for perfumes; esp. one in which incense is burned.
Note: The ecclesiastical censer is usually cup-shaped, has a
cover pierced with holes, and is hung by chains. The
censer bearer swings it to quicken the combustion.
Her thoughts are like the fume of frankincense
Which from a golden censer forth doth rise.
--Spenser.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
censer
n : a container for burning incense (especially one that is
swung on a chain in a religious ritual) [syn: {thurible}]
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