The term masonry is used to indicate the art of building the structures in either stones or bricks. The former type is called stone masonry and the latter type is called brick masonry. Some important technical terms used in stone masonry are as follows:
- Course: A horizontal layer of stones or brick is known as course. Its thickness generally equal to the thickness of a stone or a brick plus thickness of one mortar joint.
- Quoin: The exterior angle or a corner of a wall is known as quoin stones or quoin bricks.
- Hearting: The inner portion of the wall between the facing and backing is known as hearting.
- Sill: A horizontal member of stone. Concrete or wood provided to give support for the vertical members of a wooden window.
- String course: The continuous horizontal course of masonry, projecting from the face of the wall for shedding rain water off the face.
- Jamb: The vertical sides of a finished opening for the door, window or fire place etc.
- Reveal: The exposed vertical surfaces left on the sides of an opening after the door or window frame has been fitted in position.
- Corbel: A projecting stone which is usually provided to serve as support for joist, roof truss, weather shed etc.
- Cornice: A horizontal moulded projection provided near the top of a building.
- Coping: A covering of stone, concrete, brick of terracota placed on the top of an external wall.
- Blocking course: A course of stone masonry provided immediately above the cornice.
- Frieze: A course of stone provided immediately below the cornice.
- Gable: A triangular shaped portion of masonry at the end of a sloped roof.
- Lacing course: A horizontal course of stone blocks provided to strengthen a wall made of irregular courses of small stones.
- Spalls: The chips or small pieces of stones obtained as a result of reducing big blocks of stones into regular stone blocks.
- Buttress: A sloping or stepped masonry projection from a tail wall intended to strengthen the wall against the thrust of a roof or arch.
- Setting: The process of placing a stone in its position in masonry construction.
- Through stone/Bond stone: In stone work some stones are placed across the wall at regular intervals.
- Raking back: Wall terminates in stepped fashion.
- Toothing: Alternate courses projected in the masonry such that future extension made easy.
- Throating: A groove provided on underside of the sill, cornice and coping so that rain water can be discharged clear of the wall surface.
- Weathering: Upper surface of stones used for sill,cornice and coping is dressed in sloping way so that water may flow off easily.
