masonry
Americannoun
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the craft or occupation of a mason.
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work constructed by a mason, especially stonework.
the crumbling masonry of ancient walls.
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(initial capital letter) Freemasonry.
noun
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the craft of a mason
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work that is built by a mason; stonework or brickwork
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(often capital) short for Freemasonry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of masonry
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English masonerie, from Middle French maçonnerie; equivalent to mason + -ery
Explanation
The word masonry refers both to the process of building things out of stone or brick and to the structures that result from this process. To practice masonry, you have to be strong enough to lift very heavy rocks. Some masonry experts (called masons) essentially "glue" bricks together with mortar, making walls, outdoor stoves, or walking paths. You can also call a person who does this a bricklayer. Other masonry is made with concrete blocks, granite, or large stones. Dry stone walls are a type of masonry constructed with no mortar—the stones are shaped and arranged so that they fit together securely.
Vocabulary lists containing masonry
"Sonnet 55" by William Shakespeare
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Structural Engineering
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Civil Engineering
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Steel beams can be installed against masonry walls to give older spaces added protection from reverberations, but it’s unclear whether any were installed at Golestan or Chehel Sotoun.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
In 2007, MIT filed suit against Gehry’s firm and the general contractor Skanska USA, alleging persistent leaks, cracking masonry, poor drainage and sections where ice and snow slid off the building.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025
Locals sometimes used to swim around the stone masonry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
A man has been injured in central London after he was reportedly hit by a piece of falling masonry.
From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025
The tower of the church looked as if wind and weather had been wearing the masonry down for a dangerously long time.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
