Kaaba

noun

Kaa·​ba ˈkä-bə How to pronounce Kaaba (audio)
: a small stone building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca that contains a sacred black stone and is the goal of Islamic pilgrimage and the point toward which Muslims turn in praying

Examples of Kaaba in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Clock Tower is located right next to the Kaaba and dwarfs the sacred structure. — Ahmet T. Kuru, The Conversation, 9 July 2024 Hania Hassan Salama, 65, a homemaker from Egypt, asked her children to draw a mural of the Kaaba on the wall of their house, a tradition in Egypt to announce a pilgrimage. — Magdy Samaan, CNN, 25 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic kaʽba, literally, cubic building

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kaaba was in 1734

Rhymes for Kaaba

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Browse Nearby Words

Ka'ala
Kaaba
kaama
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Cite this Entry

“Kaaba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kaaba. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

Kaaba

noun
Kaa·​ba ˈkäb-ə How to pronounce Kaaba (audio)
: a small stone building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca that contains a sacred black stone and is the point toward which Muslims turn in praying

More from Merriam-Webster on Kaaba

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Kaaba

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