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Mosques were known to the English-speaking world long before we called them mosques. In the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, we used many different variations of the word—moseak, muskey, moschy, mos’keh, among others—until we finally hit on mosquee, emulating Middle French. The Middle French word had come by way of Italian and Old Spanish from the Arabic word for "temple," which is masjid. In the early 1700s, we settled on the present spelling, and mosque thus joined other English words related to Muslim worship: mihrab, for the special niche in a mosque that points towards Mecca; minaret, for the tall slender tower of a mosque; and muezzin, for the crier who, standing in the minaret, calls the hour of daily prayers.
Examples of mosque in a Sentence
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Nov. 2024
The theory was popularized by manifestos left by perpetrators in a number of high-profile neo-Nazi and white supremacist terrorist incidents, including the killing of 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Pictures show the shrine enclosed in a golden cage adorned with intricate Arabic inscriptions beside an old stone mosque crowned by a minaret that overlooked the village.
—Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
In May, a report from the United Nations Development Program estimated that at least 341 mosques had been destroyed in Palestine.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near mosque
Cite this Entry
“Mosque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosque. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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mosque
noun
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