A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in the Roman Catholic, Anglo Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, some Lutheran, Old Catholic, and in various Gnostic Churches. It is also used in Co-Freemasonry and in the practice of ceremonial magic. In Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches, the altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer.
The workings of a thurible are quite simple. Burning charcoal is inside the metal censer. Incense, sometimes of many different varieties, is placed upon the charcoal. This may be done several times during the service as the incense burns quite quickly. Once the incense has been placed on the charcoal the thurible is then closed and used for censing.
A famous thurible is the huge Botafumeiro in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain
The word "thurible" comes from the Old French thurible, which in turn is derived from the Latin term thuribulum. The Latin thuribulum is further formed from the root thus, meaning incense. Thus is an alteration of the Greek word θύος (thuos), which is derived from θύειν (thuein) "to sacrifice".
Read more about Thurible: Ambrosian Rite, Anglicanism, Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches