Today’s word, at first glance, might seem highly significant and mythological.

The initial thought most people have upon encountering this word is that it is the past participle of a word meaning “acting or becoming like Thor.” Picture a group of friends standing around their favorite restaurant after lunch together:

“By the way, everyone, have you seen Kevin lately? I saw him yesterday and he looks like he has put on about thirty pounds of muscle!”

“Aw, he always wanted to look like that guy from the ‘Thor’ movie. Must have gone to a plastic surgeon for a thurification.”

All the guys in the group snort derisively, as though doing such a thing is ridiculous and vain; plus it is cheating. Then they all secretly start looking around for something heavy to casually lift.

Really, as much as this definition is plausible to the uneducated and unenlightened, our regular readers know the truth.

Thurification means to grow hair all over one’s body like an animal.

Oh wait, that is furification. Sorry!

Thurification means “the act of burning incense, or filling a room with the fumes of burning incense.” It can be performed by all sorts of individuals in religious ceremonies. Such a person can be called a thurifer, because they carry a thurible or censer.

Despite all that, they generally don’t look anything like Thor.