ashlar

or ash·ler

[ ash-ler ]

/ ˈæʃ lər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ashlar ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Masonry.

a squared building stone cut more or less true on all faces adjacent to those of other stones so as to permit very thin mortar joints.
such stones collectively.
masonry made of them.

Carpentry. a short stud between joists and sloping rafters, especially near the eaves.

verb (used with object)

to face with ashlars.

RELATED WORDS

trade, brickwork, stonework

Nearby words

Origin of ashlar

1325–75; Middle English ascheler < Middle French aissel(i)er < Latin axillāris, equivalent to axill(a) (axis board, plank, axis¹ + -illa diminutive suffix) + -āris -ar¹; cf. -ar²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ashlar

Ashlar walls are constructed of carefully worked blocks of regular dimensions and set with fine joints.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 7|Various
The other variety consists of walls formed of square stones or ashlar, as the Roman wall in Northumberland.
Cassell's History of England, Vol. I (of 9)|Anonymous
"You certainly made a first class job of ashlar work," remarked John.
The Wonder Island Boys: Treasures of the Island|Roger Thompson Finlay
Emplecton, em-plek′ton, n. masonry in which the outsides of the walls are ashlar and the insides filled up with rubbish.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various

“Ashlar means a building stone cut and dressed,” explained David.
In the Days of the Guild|Louise Lamprey

British Dictionary definitions for ashlar

ashlar

ashler

/ (ˈæʃlə) /

noun

a block of hewn stone with straight edges for use in building

Also called: ashlar veneer a thin dressed stone with straight edges, used to face a wall

masonry made of ashlar

Word Origin for ashlar

C14: from Old French aisselier crossbeam, from ais board, from Latin axis axletree; see axis 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ashlar

ashlar

late 14c., "square stone for building or paving," from Old French aiseler, from Latin axillaris, from axilla, diminutive of axis "board, plank," which is perhaps not the same axis that means "axle." The stone sense is peculiar to English.