masonry

masonry — noun

1. stone, brick, or concrete blocks used together as the walls or outer surface of

1.nounB2
Definition

stone, brick, or concrete blocks used together as the walls or outer surface of a building or other structure.

Example

Workers repaired the cracked masonry on the town hall tower after the storm.

masonry as material subject to weather damage

The villa's old masonry walls were made of limestone that aged to a warm grey.

masonry walls — noun modifier describing material

Common collocations
  • masonry wall
  • masonry structure
  • cracked masonry
  • loose masonry
  • stone masonry
  • brick masonry
Synonyms
  • stonework

    more specific — refers only to stone, not brick or concrete

  • brickwork

    more specific — refers only to brick construction

  • stone

    broader — can refer to the raw material rather than the assembled structure

Grammar Patterns

masonry + noun (modifier)

piece of masonry

Usage Note

Masonry is uncountable — you cannot say 'a masonry' or 'masonries'. Use 'a piece of masonry' or 'a section of masonry' for a single item.

Common Mistakes

The masonary wall was strong.
The masonry wall was strong.
'masonry' has no 'a' after 'son'; the common misspelling is 'masonary'.
I bought a masonry for my garden.
I bought some masonry blocks for my garden.
'masonry' is uncountable; use 'masonry blocks' or 'pieces of masonry'.

2. the work, trade, or skill of cutting and fitting stone, brick, or concrete block

2.nounB2
Definition

the work, trade, or skill of cutting and fitting stone, brick, or concrete blocks to build walls, arches, and other structures.

Example

Jude spent three years learning masonry at a trade school in Cornwall.

learn masonry — skill as subject of study

Traditional masonry uses lime mortar instead of cement for greater flexibility.

traditional masonry — craft practices

Common collocations
  • learn masonry
  • study masonry
  • practice masonry
  • stone masonry
  • masonry course
  • masonry skills
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

masonry as a skill/trade

learn/study/practice masonry

Usage Note

When the trade focus is on a specific material, compound terms are common: 'stone masonry', 'brick masonry', or 'block masonry'. 'Stonemasonry' and 'bricklaying' are separate words for the same craft.

Common Mistakes

She learned masonry skills such as how to design buildings.
She learned masonry skills such as how to lay bricks and cut stone.
masonry is about building with stone/brick, not architectural design.

3. the beliefs, practices, and organization of Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal so

3.nounC1
Definition

the beliefs, practices, and organization of Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal society whose members follow moral principles and help one another.

Example

Freemasonry, sometimes shortened to masonry, has lodges in cities across the world.

shortened form of Freemasonry

Mayumi's grandfather was an active member of masonry for more than sixty years.

Common collocations
  • member of masonry
  • join masonry
  • in masonry
  • Masonic lodge
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

member of masonry

Masonry as proper noun

Usage Note

In formal writing, the capitalized form 'Masonry' is preferred when referring to the fraternal organization, while the lowercase form is more casual. 'Freemasonry' is the full, formal name.

Common Mistakes

Building a wall requires knowledge of masonry.' (when meaning Freemasonry)
Joining a lodge requires an invitation from existing members of Masonry.
sense 3 has nothing to do with construction.

Word family

  • mason
    nounB2
  • stonemason
    nounB2
  • stonemasonry
    nounC1
  • freemason
    nounC1
  • freemasonry
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Masonry is the broadest term for building materials used by a mason — it covers stone, brick, and concrete blocks together. Stonework refers only to constructions made of natural stone, such as granite walls or marble floors, and emphasises the craftsmanship of working with stone. Brickwork is similarly narrow, applying only to structures built with fired clay bricks. The word stone on its own is more general — it can mean the raw mineral found in the ground, a gem, or a unit of weight, whereas masonry always implies that the material has been assembled into a structure. For example, you would say 'the stone from this quarry is very hard' but 'the masonry walls of the church have stood for centuries'. If you want to emphasise both the material and the craft, masonry is the safest choice.

stonework ↗brickworkstone ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • masonry wall
  • masonry work
  • masonry structure
  • masonry course
  • masonry skills

Adverbs

Phrases

  • piece of masonry
  • section of masonry
  • member of masonry

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Masonry comes from the Old French word 'maconerie', meaning the work of a mason, which itself came from 'macon' (a stoneworker). The French word probably traces back to a Frankish (Germanic) root *makôn, meaning 'to make' or 'to work with the hands'. The same root gave us the modern English verb 'make'. By the 1300s, 'masonry' referred to the craft of building with stone, and by the 1700s it was also being used as a shortened form of 'Freemasonry'.