Mecca

How to spell mecca

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce mecca

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does mecca mean?

1. nounA place that attracts large numbers of people who share a particular interest or activity.

Mecca in a sentence

• The seaside town became a mecca for surfers from across the country.

• The district is a shopping mecca packed with designer boutiques.

Where does mecca come from?

Language of origin: Arabic

This word is a figurative extension of Mecca, the city in western Arabia that is the holiest site in Islam and the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad. The place name comes from the Arabic Makkah, whose own deeper origin is uncertain, though it long predates Islam as a settlement and trading centre. Because devout Muslims are called to make a pilgrimage there at least once in a lifetime, the city became a byword for a destination that draws crowds of devoted visitors. By the nineteenth century English writers had begun using the lowercase 'mecca' loosely for any place that attracts enthusiasts of a particular pursuit, such as a shopping mecca or a surfing mecca. The doubled c, which mirrors the spelling of the city, is the main thing to remember, since a single c looks plausible but is wrong.

How the word is built

• mecca (from Mecca, the holy city in western Arabia, treated as a common noun)