masonry

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The parts of a building or wall that are made of stone, brick, or similar blocks joined with mortar.

   Grammar: No plural and no article: say 'a wall of masonry', not 'a masonry'.

   Patterns

   • masonry wall
   • stone masonry
   • a block of masonry

   The old church is famous for its fine stone masonry.

   A section of masonry fell from the bridge during the storm.

   They repaired the masonry around the windows with fresh mortar.

2. 2noununcountable

   The skilled trade or activity of building things with stone, brick, or similar materials.

   Grammar: Names an activity, like carpentry or plumbing; it does not take 'a' or a plural.

   Patterns

   • learn masonry
   • do masonry
   • work in masonry

   He learned masonry from his uncle and now restores old houses.

   The course covers carpentry, plumbing, and masonry.

   She has worked in masonry for over twenty years.

Common combinations

stone masonry

The castle walls show excellent stone masonry.

brick masonry

Brick masonry needs regular inspection for cracks.

masonry wall

They built a low masonry wall around the garden.

masonry work

The masonry work on the tower took six months.

a piece of masonry

A loose piece of masonry hit the pavement.

Synonyms and how they differ

stonework

Usually means stone parts of a building, not brick; masonry can cover both.

brickwork

Refers specifically to brick construction, while masonry includes stone and concrete blocks too.

masonry

There is no exact one-word synonym for the trade sense; 'the building trade' is broader.

Word family

mason noun

A person who builds with stone or brick.

Commonly confused: masonry or masonry?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “masonry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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