Adjacent Words

mosque definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (Islam) a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaret

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: earlier mosquee, from Middle French, from Old Italian moschea, from Old Spanish mezquita, from Arabic masjid temple, from sajada to prostrate oneself, worship Date: 1717 a building used for public worship by Muslims

Britannica Concise

Islamic public place of prayer. The masjid jami, or "collective mosque," is the center of community worship and the site of Friday prayer services. Though the mosque--originally a sacred plot of ground--has been influenced by local architectural styles, the building has remained essentially an open space, usually roofed, with a minaret sometimes attached. Statues and pictures are not permitted as decoration. The minbar, a seat at the top of steps placed at the right of the mihrab, is used by the preacher (khatib) as a pulpit. Occasionally there is also a maqsurah, a box or wooden screen originally used to shield a worshiping ruler from assassins. The minaret, originally any elevated place but now usually a tower, is used by the muezzin (crier) to proclaim the call to worship five times each day. During prayer, Muslims orient themselves toward the Kabah. See also Islamic architecture.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a Muslim place of worship. Etymology: F mosquée f. It. moschea f. Arab. masjid

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mosque Mosque, n. [F. mosqu['e]e, Sp. mezquita, Ar. masjid, from sajada to bend, adore.] A Mohammedan church or place of religious worship. [Written also mosk.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(mosques) A mosque is a building where Muslims go to worship. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Mahometan temple.