mason
gb/mˈeɪsən/ us/mˈeɪsən/
B1
English
~ 6500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
a worker who builds with stone or brick
A person whose job is to build or fix walls and buildings made of stone, brick, or concrete.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works as a mason
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "mason" with the general word "builder" or "construction worker". A mason is specifically someone who works with stone, brick, or similar materials, not just any kind of building work. Learners also sometimes think it means a machine because of tools like "mixer"; it always refers to a person in this sense.
Synonyms
stonemason (More specific; clearly refers to someone who works mainly with stone rather than brick or other materials.)
|
bricklayer (Common term for a worker who lays bricks; overlaps strongly but may not include all types of masonry work.)
Antonyms
demolition worker (Does the opposite kind of job, taking buildings apart rather than building or repairing them.)
Collocations
stone mason
|brick mason
|skilled mason
|hire a mason
|master mason
Themes
work
|construction
|jobs
|housing
Examples
- They hired a local mason to repair the cracked stone steps.
- The church was built by Italian masons in the nineteenth century.
- As an apprentice mason, he spends most of his day mixing mortar and carrying bricks.
- The restoration project requires experienced masons who can match the original stonework.
- The mason carefully laid each brick to create a perfectly straight wall.
Learner examples
- My uncle is a mason and builds brick walls.
- We need a mason to fix the front steps.
- The mason used wet cement to put the bricks together.
- Three masons worked on the new house all week.
- She is training to be a mason after finishing school.
Noun
B2
entity
2
member of the Freemasons
A person who is a member of a group called the Freemasons, a traditional men’s club with special rules and meetings.
Usage pattern:
[someone] becomes a Mason
Common mistake:
Learners often do not realize that "Mason" with a capital M can mean a member of the Freemasons, not a person who works with stone or brick. In writing, this sense is usually capitalized; the job meaning is usually lowercase.
Synonyms
Freemason (More explicit and common term; always clearly refers to the fraternal organization and avoids confusion with the construction trade.)
Antonyms
outsider (Someone who does not belong to the Freemasons and is not part of their group or meetings.)
Collocations
become a Mason
|Grand Lodge of Masons
|fellow Masons
|Mason lodge
|secret society of Masons
Themes
society
|organizations
|religion
|relationships
Examples
- His grandfather was a Mason and often attended lodge meetings.
- The building was originally constructed as a hall for local Masons.
- She researched how Masons influenced the town’s early history.
- Membership as a Mason traditionally involved secret rituals and symbols.
- Several prominent Masons donated money for the new library.
Learner examples
- He became a Mason when he was a young man.
- The Masons meet in that big hall on Main Street.
- Her father is a Mason and goes to many evening meetings.
- Some people think Masons are very secret.
- The town museum has old photos of local Masons.
Verb
technical
C1
action
3
to build using masonry
To build or fix something by putting stone or brick together with mortar, like a mason does.
Usage pattern:
[someone] masons [something]
Common mistake:
This verb form is rare in everyday English and may sound odd in casual conversation. Learners usually should say "build a brick wall" or "lay bricks" instead of "mason a wall" unless they are in a technical or trade context.
Synonyms
build (More general; does not specifically mean using stone or brick with mortar, while "mason" focuses on that method.)
Antonyms
demolish (Means to tear down or destroy a structure, the opposite of building or repairing it with masonry.)
Collocations
mason the wall
|masoned stonework
|newly masoned foundation
Themes
construction
|work
|housing
Examples
- They plan to mason the back wall with locally quarried stone.
- The contractor will mason the fireplace using reclaimed bricks.
- A specialist was brought in to mason the curved arch above the doorway.
Learner examples
- Workers will mason a new stone wall around the garden.
- The company will mason the front steps again next week.
- He learned how to mason a small brick wall in class.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mason
IPA
GB/mˈeɪsən/
US/mˈeɪsən/
Syllables & stress
ma - son (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ma)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mason
- Plural: masons
Word family
Forms
masons
noun
Core family
masonry
noun
Related words
stonemason
noun
bricklayer
noun
Advanced or less common
masonic
adjective
Expressions
Mason jar
1/mˈeɪsən d͡ʒˈɑɹ/
fixed phrase
glass jar used for canning
A strong glass jar with a special metal lid, often used at home to store or can food like jam or pickles.
Examples
- She filled three Mason jars with homemade strawberry jam.
- She stored homemade pickles in large mason jars.
- They drank iced tea out of Mason jars at the summer party.
- They served lemonade in mason jars at the wedding.
- He keeps dried beans and rice in labeled Mason jars on the shelf.
- He decorated the room with candles in small mason jars.