mosque

noun

: a building used for public worship by Muslims

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web Traina consistently donates to mosques during Ramadan in what constitutes sadaqa, a concept in Islam of voluntarily giving charity, a slight variation from the more obligatory zakat. Monica Haider, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Last year during Ramadan, an Israeli raid on the mosque left more than two dozens worshipers injured, prompting rocket fire from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 In the morning, Muslims will gather at mosques across the world for a community-wide prayer and to greet other Muslims by saying ‘Eid Mubarak’, meaning ‘Blessed Eid’ in Arabic. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 There are still many ways to enjoy a spiritually nourishing Ramadan through other forms of worship, like listening to or reading Quran, dhikr (remembrance of Allah), visiting the mosque, sadaqah (acts of charity), prayer, and watching khutbas (Islamic lectures). Azmia Ricchuito, SELF, 7 Mar. 2024 And, at the same time, Imam al-Qazwini is preaching harm reduction to his congregation, encouraging youth to return to the mosque. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Years ago, there was an old Afghan man who used to come to our local mosque a little tipsy, or sometimes high. Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The Nation's first mosque, also called a temple, was in Detroit, and is still referred today as Mosque No. 1. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 17 Feb. 2024 In conversations in mosques and coffee shops, there was nearly unanimous agreement that Mr. Biden and his support for Israel’s right-wing government have enabled the devastation. Jennifer Medina, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mosque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier mosquee, from Middle French, from Old Italian moschea, from Old Spanish mezquita, from Arabic masjid temple, from sajada to prostrate oneself, worship

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mosque was in 1585

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Cite this Entry

“Mosque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosque. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mosque

noun
: a Muslim place of worship
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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