# mason

/ˈmeɪsən/ (US) · /mˈeɪsən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mason
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. stone worker

noun · CEFR B2

a person whose job is to cut stone or build things with stone and brick.

For teachers: a person skilled in cutting, dressing, and laying stone or brick in construction.

- The master mason carefully carved the decorative stone for the new cathedral.
- The restoration project required a highly skilled mason to replace the crumbling limestone blocks without damaging the original medieval structure.

### 2. Freemason

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a member of a large, old, and secret international social group.

For teachers: a member of the worldwide fraternal organisation known as the Freemasons.

- My grandfather was a mason and attended meetings at the local lodge every month.
- The historical society uncovered documents revealing that several of the town's founding fathers were active masons within the local grand lodge.

### 3. to build with stone

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to build or strengthen something using stone or brick.

For teachers: to construct, line, or strengthen a structure using masonry techniques.

- The workers had to mason the inside of the old well to keep it from collapsing.
- The engineers decided to mason the embankment with granite blocks to prevent further erosion from the rising river levels.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The mason carefully placed each stone in the garden wall.
- After the storm damaged the chimney, we hired a local mason to replace the cracked bricks and mortar.
- Restoring the medieval cathedral required a master mason who understood the ancient techniques of carving limestone to match the original gothic arches.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.