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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
Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2025
Tensions also grew between Iraq's Sunni institutions over conflicting announcements, with dozens of Iraqis performing Eid prayers on Sunday, outside mosques and without clergy, according to media reports.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
The target was said to be located in the Middle East with mosque domes nearby.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
But at American mosques, which serve the most diverse religious community in the country, doughnuts are the perfect crowd pleaser.
—Sarah Khan, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mosque
Cite this Entry
“Mosque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosque. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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mosque
noun
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