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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
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
1 July 2026
The attack forced hundreds of migrants to seek shelter in churches and mosques, according to state broadcaster SABC.
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Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
According to the Waqf and Glick, more than 70,000 Jewish activists entered the mosque compound last year.
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Gabe Joselow,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Independent churches, synagogues, and mosques represent loyalties outside Moscow’s control.
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Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mosque
Cite this Entry
“Mosque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mosque. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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mosque
noun
