joss house

2 definitions found

joss house - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Joss \Joss\ (j[o^]s), n. [Chinese, corrupt. fr. Pg. deos God, L.
     deus.]
     A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol. "Critic in jars
     and josses." --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.
        [1913 Webster]

joss house - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  joss house
      n 1: a Chinese temple or shrine for idol worship