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
Night-time footage released by the Iranian Red Crescent shows rescuers removing fallen masonry to try to reach Berivan's trapped mother as she begs to know: "Is my daughter alive?"
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
His graciousness even extended to the treatment of wooden water tanks, which he often wrapped in masonry to give them the appearance of little temples—much nicer to look at from the street.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
A mechanical excavator had ripped through the facade of the East Wing, leaving a tangle of broken masonry, rubble and steel wires, AFP journalists at the scene saw.
From Barron's • Oct. 20, 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.
