mason

noun

ma·​son ˈmā-sᵊn 

1

: a skilled worker who builds by laying units of substantial material (such as stone or brick)

2

capitalized : freemason

Examples of mason in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are 10 of these dwellings on-site, all built by the masons for the aluxes, mythical elves in traditional Mayan culture. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024

Led by Firestone, West and Kennett, the group put together its hypothesis the way that contractors build a house, with masons, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and drywallers each playing distinct but complementary roles. —Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

Admire hand-hewn wood beams and stone fireplaces artfully crafted by local masons in one of 30 accommodations. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024

The shortage of skilled brick masons is contributing to a housing crunch across Europe and slowing major building projects in the U.S. too. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024

Master masons James Bailey and Taylor Buffington oversaw the building of the house. —Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 21 Mar. 2024

Prior experiments using traditional plaster-making recipes used by modern Maya masons (passed down through generations) revealed that these kinds of additives seem to improve the workability of the plaster mix and reduce drying cracks. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Apr. 2023

But the process still requires a human mason to do the pointing, smoothing out the mortar, and also to install the wall ties that anchor the bricks to rest of the house’s structure. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024

Last month, 60,000 people flocked to Las Vegas to attend the World of Concrete convention, which brought masons from 120 different countries to the exhibit space, which covers more than 700,000 square feet and hosts around 1,400 manufacturers. —Conor Knighton, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English macian to make

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mason

• mason jar
• mason wasp

Kids Definition

mason

noun

ma·​son ˈmās-ᵊn 

: a skilled worker who builds or works with stone, brick, or cement

Biographical Definition

Mason 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Ma·​son ˈmā-sᵊn 

Charles 1728–1786 English astronomer and surveyor

Mason

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

George 1725–1792 American statesman in Revolution