First recorded in 1615–25; from Arabic qur'ān “reading, recitation,” from qara'a “to read, recite”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the wholesale markets of Yiwu, the Chinese city known for supplying the world with inexpensive goods, buyers can find prayer rugs, Quran stands, modest clothing, Ramadan lanterns and crescent-shaped decorations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The subtler communication went both ways: Tehran’s allies were greeted with complimentary verses from the Quran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Al-Aqsa is mentioned in the Quran, and it is from where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
"We stayed to guard our soil," her daughter Najat al-Nour, a Quran professor in her fifties who lifted her chin high to admonish those who left.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Thaya Jaan stands in the front to lead us all, taking Baba’s usual spot, since he’s both the eldest and most knowledgeable of the Quran.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
It’s something that Muslims do the world over, in line with the teachings of the Qur'an, Islam’s holy book.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2024
A double-page spread from a Qur’an, handwritten on blush-pink paper, is in Arabic.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2022
Later that day, after returning from a shower, McAvoy entered his cell to find the Qur'an, a packet of Weetabix and some UHT milk on his bed.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2020
He had fled for his life from Afghanistan after accidentally damaging a Qur’an.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 3, 2020
Scholars today are confronted with the problem of how to non-arbitrarily interpret the Qur’an.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Despite being tucked away inside the education building instead of by the swing rides, the Building Blocks of Islam booth also had a steady flow of visitors getting free Qurans from volunteers in hijabs.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2023
“This applies both to the burning of Qurans and other religious symbols. It has no other purpose than to provoke and create division.”
From Washington Times ● Jul. 22, 2023
At his headquarters, the Islamic Cultural Center of Lviv, a display case exhibits faded old Qurans carried by Crimean Tatars, Muslims who were forcibly deported in 1944 during a Soviet ethnic cleansing campaign.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2022
On arrival they found texts which included early Qurans and some with diverse topics including astronomy, maths and geography.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2022
“But there are Qurans here in your home.”
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
