Definition of MOSQUES

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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

Recent Examples on the Web The night before fasting was to begin, worshipers streamed to the mosque. — New York Times, "Phuket Was Poised for Tourism Comeback. A Covid Surge Dashed Those Hopes.," 25 Apr. 2021 Now, coming to the mosque should have a much deeper meaning. — Dallas News, "‘We’ll never take this for granted’: North Texas Muslims gather in-person for Ramadan celebration," 13 Apr. 2021 Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. — NBC News, "Muslims navigate restrictions in the second pandemic Ramadan," 13 Apr. 2021 Last year, the coronavirus upended her routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Muslims worldwide celebrate a second Ramadan in lockdown," 12 Apr. 2021 There was a mosque, and next to it a basketball court with a looming mural of Muhammad Ali. — Ayşegül Savaş, The New Yorker, "Future Selves," 22 Mar. 2021 In the trial of a man accused of bombing a Minnesota mosque, FBI forensic scientists testified that some evidence found at the crime scene didn't conclusively match defendant Michael Hari. — Andy Mannix, Star Tribune, "Defense experts question evidence linking Michael Hari to Bloomington mosque bombing," 3 Dec. 2020 The remains of a grand mosque dominate the site, its outer walls etched with images of sailing dhows and Arabian daggers. — Peter Browne, Condé Nast Traveler, "Island-Hopping in Kenya's Lamu Archipelago," 25 Mar. 2021 At the entrance of the mosque stood a man the size of a small child, with a thickly furrowed forehead, greeting those arriving for evening prayers. — Ayşegül Savaş, The New Yorker, "Future Selves," 22 Mar. 2021

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.