joss

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

joss, n. [Chinese, corrupt. fr. Pg. deos God, L. deus.].

 A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol.  Colman (1761).  [1913 Webster]

Joss house, a Chinese temple or house for the Chinese mode of worship. -- Joss stick, a reed covered with a paste made of the dust of odoriferous woods, or a cylinder made wholly of the paste; -- burned by the Chinese before an idol.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

joss, n. a Chinese idol.

Idiom

joss-house a Chinese temple. joss-stick a stick of fragrant tinder mixed with clay, burnt as incense.

Etymology

perh. ult. f. Port. deos f. L deus god