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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
Betsy Joles, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
After years of monitoring a mosque known as the Islamic Center, AJC assisted the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Hamburg in shutting down the mosque for its ties to terrorist organizations, thus violating the German constitution.
—Susan Greene Pallot, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2025
Larger groups, unable to be evacuated, such as the Hazara, have been subjected to years of persecution and targeted with bombings and attacks on their schools, hospitals, and Shia mosques, among others.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The incident took place on Saturday night outside the Islamic Cultural Center of New York mosque located at 1558 Washington Blvd.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 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 3 Sep. 2025.
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mosque
noun
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