more general term covering anyone who shapes or uses stone in construction
Word family
stonemasonry
nounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
A stonemason shapes and fits stone blocks to build structures — the word combines the craft of cutting with the trade of construction. Mason is the everyday short form but can also mean a bricklayer; stonecutter focuses narrowly on the cutting stage, not the assembly; stoneworker is a broader umbrella covering anyone who handles stone, from quarrying to carving; sculptor works with stone for artistic expression, not structural building. For example, you would hire a stonemason to build a stone wall, a stonecutter to prepare blocks at a quarry, and a sculptor to carve a statue from marble.
Stonemason is a compound formed from 'stone' (from Old English stān, meaning 'rock') and 'mason' (from Old French maçon, meaning 'builder in stone'). The word came into use in English by the late 1300s to refer specifically to workers who cut and lay stone for buildings, as distinct from ordinary bricklayers or carpenters.