What does bricklaying mean?
Bricklaying is the craft of constructing walls, chimneys, and other structures by setting bricks in beds of mortar, typically with a trowel, spirit level, and line. It is both the name of a skilled trade — usually learned through apprenticeship — and a general term for the physical act of laying bricks on any given project. A good bricklayer must judge mortar consistency, keep each course level and vertically true (plumb), and maintain consistent joint thickness, all while working quickly enough to beat the setting of the mortar. The word is uncountable and neutral in register, though it often evokes sturdy, honest manual craftsmanship. Related terms include masonry, the broader family of building trades working in stone, brick, and block, and brickwork, which describes the finished structure itself. The person who practices the trade is a bricklayer, and the term appears commonly in discussions of construction, vocational training, and heritage building restoration.
nounThe trade, craft, or work of building walls and other structures by laying bricks in mortar with a trowel.
- The trade or occupation of building structures by laying bricks in mortar.
- The act or process of laying bricks on a particular job or occasion.
"After years of apprenticeship, his bricklaying had become fast, precise, and almost effortless."
"He learned bricklaying through a three-year apprenticeship with a local contractor."
"The bricklaying on the garden wall was finished just before the first frost."
Bricklaying is uncountable and has no standard plural; quantities are expressed periphrastically, e.g. "several years of bricklaying."
"He spent decades doing bricklaying across the north of England."
A skilled bricklayer can lay several hundred bricks a day — and every single one must sit level, plumb, and true, because one crooked course shows for the life of the wall.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bricklaying
Bricklaying is a straightforward English compound of "brick" and "laying," formed within English rather than borrowed as a unit. The word "brick" itself entered Middle English from Old French "brique," likely of Germanic origin, while "lay" descends from Old English "lecgan," meaning to put or place down. The compound arose as the building trade developed specialized terminology, and its derivative "bricklayer" — the practitioner — has been established in English since at least the early modern period. It shares its roots broadly with other Germanic-derived words of placing and building.
Related word forms
How bricklaying is actually used
Bricklaying is an uncountable noun referring to a trade or activity rather than individual objects; it is neutral in register but often carries connotations of honest, skilled manual labor. The practitioner is called a bricklayer.
Easily confused with bricklaying
Masonry is the broader craft of building with stone, brick, or concrete blocks, whereas bricklaying refers specifically to laying bricks.