mosque

noun

\ ˈmäsk

\

Definition of mosque

: a building used for public worship by Muslims

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about mosque

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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

In the mosque, all who worship are supposed to be equal in the eyes of God. — Daisy Khan, WSJ, "The #MosqueMeToo Movement," 28 June 2018 Among the most noteworthy recoveries were four photographs taken on Perez’s phone early on the morning of Jan. 28, 2017, that showed images of the burning mosque. — John Maccormack, San Antonio Express-News, "Accused mosque burner’s own words part of trial," 10 July 2018 Bullet holes pepper outlying houses and the minaret of a mosque. — The Economist, "A jailed Kurdish leader could sway Turkey's elections," 9 June 2018 At the heart of the opposition for the construction of the mosque is fear. — Guest Columnist/cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Loving our neighbor - with no exceptions: The Rev. Arik Borstad (Opinion)," 13 May 2018 He was questioned again about the activities, fundraising and leadership of the Portland mosque and subjected to threats and beatings, according to his appeal. — Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Federal appeals court to hear Portlander's challenge of no-fly list," 9 May 2018 The director of Mashhood’s mosque would lose his home in one of the twisters. — Monica Rhor, Houston Chronicle, "Katy man and his WhatsApp crew formed an army of helpers," 11 Apr. 2018 Plavchak never made public statements about her views of the mosque or gave a public reason for her decision to leave the board. — Chris Sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Lawsuit: Brainard stacked the deck on Carmel mosque vote," 10 Apr. 2018 Geller emerged in 2010 as a leading opponent of the mosque and community center that was then planned for a site near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. — CNN, "John Bolton has decade-long association with anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mosque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 Sep 2018

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Time Traveler for mosque

The first known use of mosque was in 1585

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More Definitions for mosque

mosque

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mosque

: a building that is used for Muslim religious services

See the full definition for mosque in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mosque

noun

\ ˈmäsk

\

Kids Definition of mosque

: a building in which Muslims worship

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