masons

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of mason.

   Skilled masons rebuilt the cathedral's damaged tower stone by stone.

   His grandfather and great-uncle were both masons who met at the lodge every Thursday night.

   Note

   Two very different groups share this plural: builders and stonecutters who work stone and brick, and members of the Freemasons, who gather at a lodge. When the fraternity is meant, the word is often capitalized, Masons, after the society's name; for the trade it stays lowercase. The surname Mason grew out of the building trade, not the fraternity.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of mason.

   The crew masons the foundation before the timber frame goes up.

   Each summer the trust masons another stretch of the crumbling harbor wall.

   Note

   The verb belongs to the builder's trade and always takes an object: the structure being built up, under or around with stone or brick, such as a foundation or a harbor wall. Because it is spelled exactly like the plural noun, the sentence decides which is meant: the crew masons the foundation is a verb, while the masons on site are people.

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