Worthy folks incense me terribly (9)

I believe the answer is:

eminences

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'worthy folks' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are plural nouns, I cannot understand how one could define the other.

'incense me terribly' is the wordplay.
'terribly' is an anagram indicator.
'incense'+'me'='incenseme'
'incenseme' is an anagram of 'EMINENCES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for eminences that I've seen before include "hills" , "Addresses of Roman college" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.

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