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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
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
But inside mosques, at vigils and around family tables, conversations reveal a city still reeling, and one beginning to reckon with what comes next.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Schools, hospitals and mosques are only gradually being repaired but much of the city remains heavily damaged.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
The forts, palaces, gardens, mosques, mausoleums, and even cities that Mughal rulers commissioned reflect their ambition and affluence as much as their tastes and sensibilities.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
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mosque
noun
