Masonry
/ˈmeɪsənri/noun
The craft or work of building with stone or brick; also, a fraternity or society of Freemasons.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Old French source as *mason*, and its second sense became famous through Freemasonry, a society that borrowed the builder’s trade name as a symbol of hidden knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mag-
“to knead, shape, or fashion”
Late Latin
Latin
*matio / *macio
“stoneworker or builder”
Old French
Old French
maçon
“mason, stoneworker”
Middle English
English
masonerie
“the craft or work of a mason”
Modern English
English
masonry
“stonework; the work or craft of building with stone or brick; Freemasonry”
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