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 WebSan Francisco man arrested after allegedly vandalizing mosque, leaving community ‘living in fear.’
O.J. Simpson’s death and impact
O.J. Simpson’s trial cast a long shadow on the LAPD — but brought few changes.—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024 Muslims can donate this form of charity to non-profits, or mosques holding Eid prayer will collect these donations, directly giving it to those in need.—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024 The organization and mosque leadership then determine what would be a best fit for the congregation and its local community.—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024 Volunteers have cleaned up debris and the mosque carpet for people who wish to pray.—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2024 On one end of Mr. Mohamed’s block, a new Shake Shack sits across the street from Masjid at-Taqwa, a mosque that broke away from the Nation of Islam in 1981.—Liam Stack Stephanie Keith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024 Hamas brutalizes children, abuses captives, steals food, fires its rockets indiscriminately, wears no uniforms, and hides behind schools, hospitals, and mosques.—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024 Satellite imagery shows that more than 30% of Gaza's buildings − entire neighborhoods once teeming with schools, mosques, coffee shops, traffic, clothing stores, restaurants, sports fields − have been reduced to rubble.—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 The largest and among the oldest mosques in Gaza, it was destroyed by an Israeli missile in December.—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 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
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