Definition of mecca
: a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest a mecca for shoppers
From the M-W Editors
Examples of mecca in a Sentence
The valley is a mecca for wine lovers.
The town has become a mecca for tourists.
Recent Examples of mecca from the Web
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Developers are proposing a massive 6 million-square-foot (557,000 square-meter) project on the edge of the Everglades in bustling South Florida that would dwarf any other shopping mecca in North America, including Minnesota’s Mall of America.
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In this, Friday, May 26, 2017 photo, land is shown where developers are proposing American Dream Miami, a massive 200-acre project on the edge of the Everglades in bustling South Florida that would dwarf any other shopping mecca in North America.
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Developers are proposing a massive 6 million-square-foot (557,000 square-meter) project on the edge of the Everglades in bustling South Florida that would dwarf any other shopping mecca in North America, including Minnesota's Mall of America.
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Her father, Bernard, an Orthodox rabbi, transformed his tiny synagogue for shopkeepers on West 47th Street into a mecca for actors from Broadway, among them Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor and two of the Three Stooges.
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Most notably, the center redefined Las Vegas as not only a gambling mecca but a destination for shopping and dining.
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In fact, there’s a mecca of free entertainment — 70-plus miles of natural coastline, sunshine for days and a variety of community events — locals and out-of-town guests can revel in for a fun and inexpensive getaway.
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An enterprising bunch planted seaside resorts and unfurled marinas, and by the 1950s the Salton Sea had boomed into a fishing and boating mecca.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mecca'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Figurative Use of Mecca
Mecca is one of a number of place names which have taken on figurative meanings over time. This city in Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Muhammad and the site which Muslims must attempt to visit on a pilgrimage; from its role as a religious destination Mecca began to be used in the early 19th century (sometimes capitalized, and sometimes not) in a non-religious sense. Other locations (some of which are fictional) that have taken on this kind of extended meaning are Eden, Camelot, and Wall Street.
Origin and Etymology of mecca
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a destination of pilgrims in the Islamic world
MECCA Defined for English Language Learners
mecca
playDefinition of mecca for English Language Learners
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Mecca : a city in Saudi Arabia that was the birthplace of Muhammad and is the holiest city of Islam
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: a place that attracts many people
Mecca
playDefinition of Mecca for English Language Learners
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: city in Saudi Arabia
MECCA Defined for Kids
Mecca
playDefinition of Mecca for Students
city W Saudi Arabia containing the Great Mosque of Islam
Learn More about mecca
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See words that rhyme with mecca Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mecca Britannica English: Translation of mecca for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mecca
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