Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • A city of western Saudi Arabia near the coast of the Red Sea. The birthplace of Muhammad, it is the holiest city of Islam and a pilgrimage site for devout Muslims.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A city in Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam, location of the sacred Ka'ba, and to which Muslims are required to make a hajj at least once in their lifetime.
  • noun figuratively Any place considered to be a very important place to visit by people with a particular interest.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia; located in western Saudi Arabia; as the birthplace of Muhammad it is the holiest city of Islam
  • noun a place that attracts many visitors

Etymologies

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Examples

  • MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Draped in white robes to symbolize purity and the equality of mankind under God, nearly 3 million Muslims from all over the world gathered Friday in Mecca, on the eve of the sta ...

    3 Million Muslims In Mecca For Pilgrimage 2008

  • MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Draped in white robes to symbolize purity and the equality of mankind under God, nearly 3 million Muslims from all over the world gathered Friday in Mecca, on the eve of the sta ...

    3 Million Muslims In Mecca For Pilgrimage 2008

  • MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Draped in white robes to symbolize purity and the equality of mankind under God, nearly 3 million Muslims from all over the world gathered Friday in Mecca, on the eve of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

    3 Million Muslims In Mecca For Pilgrimage 2008

  • CHAPTER SEVENTEEN MECCA The pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, is a religious obligation that every orthodox Muslim fulfills, if humanly able, at least once in his or her lifetime.

    The Autobiography of Malcolm X X, Malcolm, 1925-1965 1964

  • MECCA - Millions of Muslims from around the world have gathered in the Saudi city of Mecca in anticipation of the start of Hajj - the annual Muslim pilgrimage that re-enacts the actions of the Prophet Muhammad 1,377 years ago.

    San Francisco Sentinel 2009

  • MECCA, Nov 25 (AFP) - A day-long downpour fouled the start of the annual hajj on Wednesday, soaking thousands of people as they walked from Mecca to Mina, snarling traffic and stranding buses for hours.

    My Sinchew - 2009

  • MECCA - An allegedly drunken 16-year-old driving a stolen car, and a woman wanted for hit-and-run, were among the 10 people arrested at an overnight sobriety checkpoint in Mecca, authorities said.

    unknown title 2009

  • MECCA, Nov 25 (AFP) - A day-long downpour fouled the start of the annual hajj on Wednesday, soaking thousands of people as they walked from Mecca to Mina, snarling traffic and stranding buses for hours.

    My Sinchew - 2009

  • MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - An estimated 2.5 million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage, as workers toil round the clock to complete construction projects designed to avoid deadly stampedes.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2009

  • MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - An estimated 2.5 million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage, as workers toil round the clock to complete construction projects designed to avoid deadly stampedes.

    JamaicaObserver.com | Lead Stories 2009

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