mason

noun

ma·​son ˈmā-sᵊn How to pronounce mason (audio)
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 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 Although no original plans for Notre Dame Cathedral exist, a couple of centuries after Notre Dame's construction, other building projects left behind documents called building accounts or fabric accounts, which include information like materials purchases and payments to masons. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Jan. 2024 About 500 people are busy at the construction site every day, including architects, engineers, masons, metal workers, carpenters, steeplejacks, and more. Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2023 The people who found Cabet’s message most appealing weren’t hardened colonists, but rather urban artisans—masons, shoemakers, bakers and the like. John Last, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 Irish masons harvested the stone, Italian artisans polished it to a mossy glow, and Mexican architect Miguel Vives supervised its careful installation at this 1940s estate, where the color of the floor creates a spiritual bridge to the leafy Parque Lincoln across the street. Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2023 Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today, thousands of years later—from Roman engineers who poured thick concrete sea barriers, to Maya masons who crafted plaster sculptures to their gods, to Chinese builders who raised walls against invaders. Maddie Burakoff, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2023 Last week, the museum released the first gallery of images from this year’s contest, featuring see-through fish swimming among coral, a hungry possum grabbing a late-night snack and a diligent mason bee constructing its nest. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mason.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mason was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mason

Cite this Entry

“Mason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mason. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mason

noun
ma·​son ˈmās-ᵊn How to pronounce mason (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce Mason (audio)
Charles 1728–1786 English astronomer and surveyor

Mason

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

George 1725–1792 American statesman in Revolution

More from Merriam-Webster on mason

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