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.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took his oath of office on a Quran, has become the new face of American leftist politics.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
"We remembered God Almighty night and day. Neighbours would come to the Quran circle in the house," Suleiman says.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
The Holy Quran says it, “Pilgrimage to the Ka’ba is a duty men owe to God; those who are able, make the journey.”
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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
A family that boasts about Fizz’s only male cousin: a Qur’an memorizer, a beacon of light for all youth.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Qurans and prayer mats have been set up in each room.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 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
“They get round-the-clock medical care, they get the Qurans when they want it. So they’re treated far better than they would be treated almost anywhere else. And that’s costly.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2023
“The pocket Qurans are out, the memorized holy words are recited and hands are raised for prayers,” Ebad Ahmed, a journalist based in Karachi, said about some fans seeking divine intervention.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2021
“But there are Qurans here in your home.”
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
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.
