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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
Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 13 July 2025
The sun sets near a mosque in Doha on June 21, 2025.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
The mosque and its golden dome are a potent symbol for many Muslims, Palestinians and their supporters around the world.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 21 June 2025
The windows and walls of several buildings, including a mosque, were blown out by the blast.
—Arkansas Online, 21 June 2025
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 Jul. 2025.
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mosque
noun
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