mason

mason — noun

1. someone whose trade is constructing or repairing walls, buildings, and other str

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose trade is constructing or repairing walls, buildings, and other structures by joining together stones, bricks, or concrete blocks

Example

The mayor hired a team of masons to restore the town’s old stone bridge.

Bilal worked as a mason for ten years before starting his own construction company.

Common collocations
  • build a wall
  • stone bridge
  • brick structure
  • restore a building
  • construction site
Synonyms
  • construction worker

    a much broader term that includes many trades beyond stone and brick work

  • waller

    a dialectal term, especially in Scotland and northern England, for a dry-stone mason

Usage Note

This is the broadest sense of 'mason'. It covers both stonemasons and bricklayers. For a specific sub-trade, use 'stonemason' (stone only) or 'bricklayer' (bricks only).

2. a person whose job is to cut and shape stone so that it can be used in buildings

2.nounB1
Definition

a person whose job is to cut and shape stone so that it can be used in buildings, walls, or monuments

Example

The old church hired a mason to repair the cracked stone pillars near the entrance.

collocation: stone + pillars / walls / blocks

Sayaka’s grandfather was a mason who carved headstones for the local cemetery.

Common collocations
  • carve stone
  • cut stone
  • shape stone
  • stone wall
  • stone pillar
Synonyms
  • stonemason

    the exact term for this sense; 'mason' is a shorter, everyday form

  • stonecutter

    focuses on the cutting stage rather than the full building process

Usage Note

To refer specifically to someone who cuts and shapes stone, 'stonemason' is more precise. In everyday speech, 'mason' alone often covers both stone-cutting and brick-laying work.

3. a worker who builds walls, houses, or other structures by arranging bricks and j

3.nounB1
Definition

a worker who builds walls, houses, or other structures by arranging bricks and joining them with mortar

Example

The construction company needs three more masons to finish the brick house before winter.

collocation: build + brick house / wall / chimney

Mateo worked as a mason, helping his uncle build garden walls in Seville.

Common collocations
  • lay bricks
  • build a wall
  • brick wall
  • mortar joint
  • row of bricks
Synonyms
  • bricklayer

    the exact, more common term for someone who lays bricks

  • brickie

    informal British term for a bricklayer

Usage Note

In many English-speaking regions, 'bricklayer' is the preferred term for this specific trade. 'Mason' is also used but can also mean a stonemason, so context matters.

4. a person who belongs to an international fraternal organisation whose members re

4.nounB2
Definition

a person who belongs to an international fraternal organisation whose members recognise each other through special handshakes, symbols, and passwords, and who support one another

Example

My great-grandfather was a mason who attended lodge meetings every Thursday evening.

collocation: lodge meeting

The local Masonic hall hosts community events that are open to both members and visitors.

Common collocations
  • lodge meeting
  • Masonic hall
  • join the fraternity
  • secret society
  • Masonic symbol
Synonyms
  • Freemason

    the full formal name for a member of this society; 'Mason' with a capital M

  • brother

    informal term used among Freemasons to refer to fellow members

Usage Note

This sense is always capitalised when written in full as 'Freemason'. In running text, 'mason' is lowercased by many writers, but some style guides capitalise it to avoid ambiguity with the building trade.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'He is a mason who builds houses' (when meaning a Freemason). ✅ 'He is a mason who belongs to the local lodge.' — when referring to a Freemason, use context such as 'lodge' or 'fraternity' to avoid confusion with the construction trade.

mason — idiom

Word family

  • masonry
    nounB2
  • masonic
    adjectiveC1
  • Freemason
    nounB2
  • Freemasonry
    nounC1
  • stonemason
    nounB1
  • bricklayer
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe people who work with building materials, but they differ in scope. "Mason" (B1) is the general word for someone who builds with stone, brick, or concrete blocks. "Stonemason" (B1) refers specifically to someone who cuts and shapes natural stone, often for decorative or monumental work such as headstones or columns. "Bricklayer" (B1) is the exact term for someone who lays bricks and uses mortar, typically for walls and houses. "Construction worker" (A2) is much broader and covers anyone on a building site — carpenters, electricians, painters, and labourers — not just those working with stone or brick. In everyday speech, a person might say "My uncle is a mason" and mean either a stonemason or a bricklayer; if the distinction matters, the specific term should be used.

mason ↗stonemason ↗bricklayerconstruction worker

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work as a mason
  • hire a mason
  • trained mason
  • skilled mason

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'mason' entered English around the 13th century from Old French 'masson' (later 'maçon'), meaning a builder or worker in stone. The French word probably came from a Germanic source, related to the Old High German 'mezzo' (stonemason) and ultimately from a root meaning 'to make' or 'to build'. The sense of a member of the secret fraternal society (Freemason) developed in the late Middle Ages, when stonemasons’ guilds used secret signs to identify trained craftsmen.