Incense making draws from traditions spanning thousands of years and dozens of cultures, each with its own vocabulary. Japanese, Arabic, Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek terms appear alongside modern English in incense literature, and it can be difficult to keep them straight. This glossary collects the most important terms in one place, with concise definitions and links to the relevant guides on this site.
A
Agarbatti (Hindi): Indian incense sticks made by rolling aromatic paste around a thin bamboo core. The most widespread form of incense in India, produced by hand and by machine in enormous quantities. See Sticks & Cones.
Agarwood (English, from Sanskrit agaru): The dark, resinous heartwood produced by Aquilaria trees when infected by a specific mold. One of the most prized and expensive aromatics in the world, used across Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and Indian traditions. Also known as oud, aloeswood, jinko, and chen xiang. See Ingredients.
Aloeswood - An older English name for agarwood. Not related to the aloe vera plant. The name derives from the Sanskrit agaru through Portuguese aguila and eventually the biblical "aloes" mentioned in several Old Testament passages.
Attar (Arabic): A concentrated essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation of botanical materials into a sandalwood oil base. Traditional attars from Kannauj, India, are sometimes used to scent incense blends. Not to be confused with synthetic fragrance oils.
B
Bakhoor (Arabic, bukhur): Arabic incense, typically a blend of wood chips, resins, and essential oils compressed or soaked together. Burned on charcoal, bakhoor is central to hospitality in Gulf Arab cultures, where its smoke is used to perfume clothing, hair, and living spaces. See World Recipes.
Benzoin (from Arabic luban jawi, "Javanese frankincense"): A balsamic resin tapped from trees of the genus Styrax. Available in two main types: Siam benzoin (warm, vanilla-like) and Sumatra benzoin (sharper, more complex). An excellent fixative and base note in incense blends. See Ingredients.
Borneol (from Borneo): A crystalline aromatic compound found naturally in the wood of Dryobalanops trees and in camphor-family plants. Used in small quantities in Chinese and Japanese incense to add a cool, clean, penetrating top note. Distinct from common camphor, though chemically related.
Bukhur - See Bakhoor.
C
Camphor (from Malay kapur): A waxy, crystalline aromatic extracted from the wood of Cinnamomum camphora or synthesized from turpentine. Used in very small amounts in incense for its sharp, penetrating, cooling scent. Central to Indian puja rituals, where small camphor tablets are burned as offerings.
Censer (from Old French encensier): Any vessel designed for burning incense. The term covers a broad range of forms, from simple ceramic bowls filled with sand to ornate metal containers with perforated lids. See Burners & Equipment.
Charcoal disc - A small, round tablet of compressed charcoal powder (usually with a saltpeter coating for easy lighting) used as a heat source for burning loose incense. Self-lighting varieties ignite with a match and glow for 30–60 minutes. See Burners & Equipment.
Chen xiang (Chinese, "sinking fragrance"): The Chinese name for agarwood, referring to the fact that high-quality specimens are dense enough to sink in water. Graded elaborately in the Chinese tradition by origin, density, and scent profile.
Copal (from Nahuatl copalli, "incense"): A hard, pale resin harvested from trees of the genus Protium and Bursera in Mexico and Central America. Sacred in Mesoamerican traditions, where it has been burned ceremonially for over 2,000 years. Produces a bright, citrusy, piney smoke. See Ingredients.
D
Dhoop (Sanskrit): Indian kneadable incense made from aromatic powders bound with resins, gums, or ghee, without a bamboo core. Formed into cones, cylinders, or rope-like coils. Burns with a thick, full-bodied smoke favored in Hindu temple worship. See Sticks & Cones.
Dragon's blood - A deep red resin collected from several unrelated plants, most commonly Daemonorops (rattan palm) and Dracaena (dragon tree). Used as a colorant and fixative in incense. The name refers to its vivid crimson color, not any animal origin.
E
Elemi (possibly from Arabic): A soft, pale resin from Canarium trees in the Philippines. Has a fresh, lemony, slightly peppery scent. Used as a top note in incense blends and valued for its ability to brighten heavier compositions.
F
Fixative - An ingredient that slows the evaporation of volatile aromatic compounds, helping a scent last longer. In incense making, common fixatives include benzoin, labdanum, sandalwood, vetiver, and orris root. A good fixative anchors the blend and gives it depth without dominating the composition.
Frankincense (from Old French franc encens, "high-quality incense"): The hardened resin of Boswellia trees, harvested by making shallow cuts in the bark and collecting the dried "tears." The most widely used incense resin in history, burned in Egyptian, Judaic, Christian, Islamic, and Hindu traditions. Multiple species produce frankincense, each with a distinct scent profile. See Ingredients.
G
Gum arabic (from the Acacia tree): A water-soluble gum harvested from Acacia senegal and related species. Used in incense as a binder, especially in wet-method preparations like kyphi and some bakhoor blends. Dissolves in warm water to form a tacky adhesive that holds powdered ingredients together.
H
Hai nan chen xiang (Chinese): Agarwood from Hainan Island, historically considered the finest Chinese domestic source. Now extremely rare due to overharvesting.
J
Jinko (Japanese, "sinking fragrance"): The Japanese name for agarwood, using the same characters as the Chinese chen xiang. In the Japanese classification system, jinko is divided into six "countries" (rikkoku) based on scent characteristics rather than actual geographic origin.
Joss stick (from Javanese or Portuguese deos, "god"): A solid incense stick without a bamboo core, made entirely from aromatic powder and a natural binder. Common in Chinese temples. The term is sometimes used loosely for any incense stick, but properly refers only to the coreless variety. See Sticks & Cones.
K
Ketoret (Hebrew, qetoret): The sacred incense described in the Book of Exodus (30:34–38), compounded from four named ingredients (stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense) and additional components described in Talmudic commentary. Its preparation was restricted to the priestly family, and making it for personal use was considered a grave sin. See World Recipes.
Kodo (Japanese, "way of fragrance"): The Japanese ceremonial art of appreciating incense, one of the three classical arts of refinement alongside tea ceremony (chado) and flower arranging (kado). In kodo, participants "listen" (mon) to incense rather than simply smelling it, bringing the same mindful attention applied to other Japanese arts. See Neri-Koh.
Koro (Japanese): A small, lidded ceramic cup used as an incense burner in the kodo ceremony and in everyday Japanese incense appreciation. A charcoal ember is buried in fine ash inside the koro, and a mica plate is placed over the ember. The incense (typically a chip of agarwood or a neri-koh ball) is set on the mica plate, where it is gently heated without burning. See Burners & Equipment.
Kumiko (Japanese): The host or leader of a kodo ceremony, responsible for preparing the charcoal, ash, and incense and guiding participants through the listening exercises.
Kyphi (from Egyptian kapet): The most famous incense of ancient Egypt, a complex blend of sixteen ingredients that required days to prepare. Burned at sunset in temples as an offering to Ra. Recipes survive in the writings of Plutarch and in inscriptions at the temples of Edfu and Philae. See World Recipes.
L
Labdanum (from Greek ladanon): A dark, sticky resin collected from Cistus (rockrose) shrubs in the Mediterranean. One of the oldest aromatics known, possibly the biblical "myrrh" in some translations. Has a deep, warm, amber-like scent. An outstanding fixative in incense blends.
Lian mi (Chinese, "refining honey"): A traditional Chinese technique for preparing honey for use in kneaded incense. The honey is slowly cooked over low heat, skimming off foam repeatedly, until it thickens and loses its raw sweetness. This process removes excess moisture and volatile compounds, producing a more stable and aromatically neutral binder. See Neri-Koh.
M
Makko (Japanese): A natural combustible binder powder made from the bark of the tabu no ki tree (Machilus thunbergii). Essential for making self-burning incense sticks and cones. Makko provides both adhesion and a slow, even burn rate with minimal scent of its own, allowing the aromatic ingredients to dominate. See Sticks & Cones and Ingredients.
Mastic (from Greek mastiche, "to chew"): A pale, brittle resin from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), cultivated primarily on the Greek island of Chios. Has a clean, slightly piney, faintly sweet scent. Used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern incense blends, and as a component in kyphi.
Mica plate - A thin, flat sheet of natural mica mineral placed over a buried charcoal ember inside a koro or similar incense burner. The mica transmits heat gently and evenly, allowing incense placed on its surface to release fragrance without combustion. Essential equipment for enjoying neri-koh and premium loose incense. See Burners & Equipment.
Mon-koh (Japanese, "listening to incense"): The act of appreciating incense fragrance in the kodo tradition. The word "listening" is used deliberately to suggest a quiet, receptive attention rather than active sniffing.
Myrrh (from Semitic murr, "bitter"): A reddish-brown resin from trees of the genus Commiphora, native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. One of the most ancient aromatics, used in Egyptian embalming, biblical sacred incense, and traditional Chinese medicine. Has a warm, earthy, slightly bitter scent. See Ingredients.
N
Neri-koh (Japanese, "kneaded incense"): Traditional Japanese incense made by combining finely powdered aromatic ingredients with cooked honey or dried plum flesh, then pounding the mixture vigorously and shaping it into small balls. Neri-koh is heated, never burned, and improves significantly with age. The six classical neri-koh formulas, each linked to a season, date back to the Heian period (794–1185 CE). See Neri-Koh.
O
Onycha (from Greek onyx, "nail" or "claw"): One of the four ingredients specified for the biblical ketoret incense. Its identity is debated: it may refer to the operculum (closing disc) of a marine mollusk, to labdanum resin, or to benzoin. The mollusk interpretation is traditional in rabbinic literature.
Opoponax (Greek, "all-healing juice"): Often called "sweet myrrh," opoponax is a resin from Commiphora guidottii (or sometimes Commiphora erythraea). Softer and sweeter than true myrrh, with a warm, balsamic character. Used in perfumery and incense as a gentler alternative to myrrh.
Oud (Arabic, ud, "wood"): The Arabic name for agarwood. In the Gulf Arab world, oud chips are burned directly on charcoal as a form of bakhoor, and oud oil is one of the most valued perfumery ingredients. See Agarwood.
P
Pastille (from Latin pastillus, "small loaf"): A small, solid piece of incense made by combining aromatic powders with a gum or resin binder and shaping them into tablets, cones, or pellets. Pastilles are placed on charcoal or a heater to release their fragrance. The term is used broadly across Western incense traditions.
Puja (Sanskrit): Hindu devotional worship, in which incense (typically agarbatti or dhoop) is an essential offering. The smoke is believed to carry prayers to the deities and to purify the ritual space.
R
Resin - A hardened plant exudate, typically produced by trees in response to injury. Resins are the foundation of most incense traditions. They contain concentrated aromatic compounds, burn slowly, and often serve as natural fixatives. Major incense resins include frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, copal, mastic, and labdanum. See Ingredients.
Rikkoku (Japanese, "six countries"): The traditional Japanese classification system for agarwood, dividing it into six categories based on scent characteristics: Kyara, Rakoku, Manaban, Manaka, Sumotara, and Sasora. Despite the name "countries," these categories describe scent profiles rather than geographic origins.
S
Sandalwood (from Sanskrit chandana): The aromatic heartwood of trees in the genus Santalum, prized for its warm, creamy, woody scent. Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) is the most valued variety, though Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is a sustainable and more affordable alternative. A fundamental base note in incense blending and an excellent fixative. See Ingredients.
Senko (Japanese, "line incense"): Japanese incense sticks, typically made without a bamboo core (unlike Indian agarbatti). The entire stick is composed of aromatic powder and makko binder, producing a cleaner burn. See Sticks & Cones.
Soradaki (Japanese, "empty burning"): A Japanese method of scenting a room by burning incense without the formality of kodo ceremony. The incense is simply placed on a heater or charcoal to perfume the air, often in anticipation of guests. The word conveys a sense of casual, atmospheric use.
Stacte (from Greek stakte, "oozing"): One of the four ingredients of the biblical ketoret. Generally identified as the finest grade of myrrh: the resin that drips naturally from the tree without the bark being cut.
T
Tabu no ki (Japanese): The Japanese name for Machilus thunbergii, the tree whose bark is ground to produce makko powder. Native to East Asia, the tabu no ki is a broad-leaved evergreen in the laurel family. Its bark contains a natural mucilage that acts as both binder and combustion agent. See Makko.
Takimono-awase (Japanese): Heian-era incense-blending competitions held among the aristocracy, in which participants created their own neri-koh blends and submitted them to be judged. These elegant contests were a major social event and an important driver of incense art development. The Tale of Genji includes vivid descriptions of such competitions. See Neri-Koh.
Thurible (from Latin thuribulum, from thus, "incense"): A swinging metal censer suspended from chains, used primarily in Christian liturgical worship. The thurifer (the person swinging the thurible) disperses the smoke throughout the church. Also used in some Orthodox Jewish and Islamic traditions.
Trail incense - A method of burning powdered incense by laying it in a thin trail or pattern (often a labyrinth or spiral) and lighting one end, so the incense burns slowly along the path. Used in Zen Buddhist temples and gaining modern popularity through decorative incense trail molds.
V
Vetiver (from Tamil vettiver): The dried roots of Chrysopogon zizanioides, a tropical grass. Has an earthy, woody, slightly smoky scent. Used in incense primarily as a fixative and base note, especially in Indian traditions. Ground vetiver root is sometimes added to agarbatti paste.
W
White sage (Salvia apiana): A plant native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, traditionally burned by various Indigenous peoples for ceremonial and purification purposes. Strictly speaking, the bundled burning of white sage is smudging rather than incense making, though the two practices share common roots. See World Recipes.
X
Xiang (Chinese, "fragrance" or "incense"): The general Chinese term for incense. Appears in many compound words: xiang dao (the way of incense), xiang lu (incense burner), chen xiang (agarwood), and tan xiang (sandalwood).
Z
Za'faran (Arabic): Saffron, the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus. Occasionally used in premium Arabic incense blends and bakhoor for its rich, honeyed, slightly metallic note. Extremely expensive, so it appears only in luxury formulations.