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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
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026
The association runs the only mosque in Los Gatos.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Two teenage shooters had stormed the mosque, killing three men there, before killing themselves a few blocks away.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
An act of terrorism against a San Diego mosque last month, in which two teenagers are accused of killing three people, should deeply disturb every American.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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mosque
noun
