Glossary of Building Stone and Masonry Terms

Abstract

"The vocabulary of building stone and masonry spans segments of the fields of geology, mineral resources, architecture, history, and several crafts and industries. Each of these has its own specialized language and literature, and many of the terms that have some common usage are also applied differently within the various fields. It is the goal of this modest compilation to bridge the diversities of word use and contribute toward a common terminology. Although history, or historical usage, is a factor in nearly all definitions, no words are included for their historical interest alone. To include all the terms that have been applied would have doubled the length of the list without adding substantially to an understanding of modern and recent applications.

Because so much of the written record for stone and other masonry is British, an appreciable number of the words contained have been used primarily or entirely in the trades and industries of Great Britain."