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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 Specia, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The image of Nila’s apartment building becomes a catchall for her family, growing up in poverty, and being of Muslim background in a country where mosques are set ablaze and brown people are victims of hate crimes.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
Houses of worship are more than religious centers Churches, mosques and synagogues often function as more than places of prayer in their neighborhoods, serving as community centers and more.
—Sarah Ventre, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
Most of Gaza’s civilians have been forced by fighting and by Israeli orders to relocate from their homes into flimsy tent camps or overcrowded schools and mosques that are never safe from bombing.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 18 Dec. 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 21 Jan. 2025.
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mosque
noun
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