Mecca
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əRelated forms
Mec·can, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
a region in Saudi Arabia bordering on the Red Sea, formerly an independent kingdom: contains the Islamic holy cities of Medina and Mecca. About 150,000 sq. mi. (388,500 sq. km). Capital: Mecca.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To mecca
00:10
Mecca
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
Hejaz, Hedjaz or Hijaz (hiːˈdʒæz) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a region of W Saudi Arabia, along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba: formerly an independent kingdom; united with Nejd in 1932 to form Saudi Arabia. Area: about 348 600 sq km (134 600 sq miles) | |
| Hedjaz, Hedjaz or Hijaz | |
| —n | |
| Hijaz, Hedjaz or Hijaz | |
| —n | |
| Hijaz (hiːˈdʒæz) | |
| —n | |
| a variant spelling of Hejaz | |
| Mecca or Mekka (ˈmɛkə) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Arabic name: Makkah a city in W Saudi Arabia, joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia: birthplace of Mohammed; the holiest city of Islam, containing the Kaaba. Pop: 1 529 000 (2005 est) |
| 2. | (sometimes not capital) a place that attracts many visitors: Athens is a Mecca for tourists |
| Mekka or Mekka | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
Mecca
1823, from Arabic Makkah, sacred city of Islam, birthplace of Muhammad, which every Muslim must visit at least once. Origins have been proposed in Phoenician maqaq "ruined" or Arabic mahrab "sanctuary." Fig. sense of "any place one holds supremely sacred" (usually with lower-case m-) is from 1850.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Mecca definition
The birthplace of Muhammad, and thus the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims face in the direction of Mecca when they pray, and they are expected to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives. Mecca is in present-day Saudi Arabia.
Note: Figuratively, a “mecca” is any place that attracts a great many people, especially for a particular reason: “Vail is a mecca for skiers.”
Mecca definition
City in western Saudi Arabia.
Note: As the place where Mohammed the prophet was born in the sixth century, it is the holiest city of Islam and the destination of numerous Muslim pilgrims.
Note: A “mecca” is a place that attracts people: “Hollywood is a mecca for would-be actors and actresses.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences from the web
Negotiations commenced with emissaries going to and from mecca.
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