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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
Mariana Navarrete Villegas, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The visits to the mosque and to family members and friends that sustained their emotional lives are on hold.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
City leaders rejected a proposal to build a mosque in the growing suburb of Tulsa.
—Alexia Aston, Oklahoman, 26 Jan. 2026
The center has its own mosque and K-12 school that currently enrolls 530 students.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 2026.
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mosque
noun
