thurible

/ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/

//ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl// noun

"thurible" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thurible” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A censer, especially one hanging on a chain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-thurible · thurible · English

thurible · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for thurible
PropertyValue
Headwordthurible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “thurible” in English

thuribleranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

thurible is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A censer, especially one hanging on a chain.".

thurible doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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”). The correct English form is thurible, spelled T-H-U-R-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A censer, especially one hanging on a chain.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how thurible appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] and then Father Conroy handed the thurible to Canon O’Hanlon and he put in the incense and censed the Blessed Sacrament […].
  2. 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.

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”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "thurible"?
"thurible" is spelled T-H-U-R-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/.
What does "thurible" mean?
As a noun, "thurible" means: A censer, especially one hanging on a chain.
How do you pronounce "thurible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thurible" is /ˈθjʊəɹɪbəl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "thurible"?
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”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list