mosque
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mosque
1600–10; earlier mosquee < Middle French < Italian moschea ≪ Arabic masjid, derivative of sajada to worship, literally, prostrate oneself; the -ee seems to have been taken as diminutive suffix and dropped
Compare meaning
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Explanation
The mosque is the traditional Muslim place of worship. Architecturally, it often features a minaret, or onion-shaped dome, on top. Mosque stems from the Arabic word masjid, meaning "temple" or "place of worship." This building is very important religiously and politically, and can be a modest structure or an architectural masterpiece, such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba in Spain. Muslims, or practitioners of Islam, come together here and pray in rows facing in the direction of the holy city of Mecca.
Vocabulary lists containing mosque
World Religions
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
State media showed five simple caskets wrapped in Iranian flags inside the mosque, including a small one containing the body of Khamenei’s 1-year-old granddaughter who Iran said was killed in the airstrike alongside him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
"Although this happened near a mosque, at this stage we do not believe the shooting to be connected to this place of worship."
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Two of the injured men had attended prayer at Broomhouse mosque about half an hour before they were attacked.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Around 50 people huddled over large buckets of food at the tiny Gansbaai mosque, which was crammed with people and belongings, sharing one toilet and a single tap.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
It’s almost time to head to the mosque for the quiz game.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
He told me that during his childhood, Eid prayers were sometimes held in hotel ballrooms because mosques were too few and too small.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Other synagogues, churches and mosques are on the path to rebuilding, but they are facing the same hurdles as many of their congregants and members, and then some.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
He spent the next few days sleeping rough, washing in mosques and sometimes borrowing accommodation from people in the Kuwaiti community in London.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
The attacks hurt rank-and-file morale and drove some security forces to begin sleeping in their vehicles, mosques or other sports facilities, Israel’s assessment said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
We went from party to party to meet relatives, to restaurants and shops, and to sites like the mosques, gardens, and the Lahore Fort.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
