joss
noun
ˈjäs 
ˈjȯs
: a Chinese idol or cult image
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The police initially said Mr. Zhang’s brothers were suspected of illegally starting a fire by burning joss sticks and paper at ancestral graves. 
Chris Buckley, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2016
Chris Buckley, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2016 Word History
Etymology
Chinese Pidgin English, from Portuguese deus god, from Latin — more at deity
First Known Use
1711, in the meaning defined above