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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
Hira Qureshi, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2025
Around 80,000 Muslim worshippers prayed Friday at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, according to the Islamic Trust, which monitors the site.
—arkansasonline.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Its capital, Podgorica, is known to be highly walkable and blends the old with the new to offer modern cafes near Ottoman-era mosques in its old town.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
In addition to meals, mosques offer Taraweeh prayers after the night prayer.
—Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 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 23 Mar. 2025.
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mosque
noun
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