minaret

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a tall, slender tower attached to or standing near a mosque, traditionally used for the call to prayer

   The mosque's minaret rose above the old city's roofs.

Simplified etymology

Minaret entered English in the late 17th century and ultimately comes from Arabic manāra, meaning “lighthouse” or “minaret.”

Borrowed from French minaret, from Ottoman Turkish minare, ultimately from Arabic manara, 'lighthouse, beacon, or place of light.' The Arabic word is related to nur, 'light'; in European languages it became the standard term for a mosque tower.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary