ashlar

American  

[ash-ler] / ˈæʃ lər /

Or ashler

noun

1. Masonry.

   1. a squared building stone cut more or less true on all faces adjacent to those of other stones so as to permit very thin mortar joints.

   2. such stones collectively.

   3. masonry made of them.

2. Carpentry. a short stud between joists and sloping rafters, especially near the eaves.

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verb (used with object)

1. to face with ashlars.

ashlar British  

/ ˈæʃlə /

noun

1. a block of hewn stone with straight edges for use in building

2. Also called: ashlar veneer.  a thin dressed stone with straight edges, used to face a wall

3. masonry made of ashlar

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Etymology

Origin of ashlar

1325–75; Middle English ascheler < Middle French aissel ( i ) er < Latin axillāris, equivalent to axill ( a ) ( axis board, plank, axis ¹ + -illa diminutive suffix) + -āris -ar ¹; -ar ²

Example Sentences

The syncopation of transparent and opaque windows, alternating with ashlar panels, can suggest the patterns of kente cloth.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2022

When he began with Bambridge, it took him three days to make an ashlar.

From Time Magazine Archive

He gave it a new ashlar facing, which, as the wall was considerably out of the perpendicular, constituted an invisible buttress.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Rochester A Description of its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See by Palmer, G. H. (George Henry)

The arch is carried on three attached shafts on each side, built in ashlar, and provided with subdivided cushion caps and plain bases.

From Scottish Cathedrals and Abbeys by Butler, Dugald

The fine ashlar work of el-Hadr is no longer adhered to, and in its place we find rubble masonry with thick mortar joints, the walls being covered afterwards, both externally and internally, with stucco.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4 "Aram, Eugene" to "Arcueil" by Various