Meanings
plural ashlars · alternative ashler
- countableuncountablearchitectureMasonry employing flat and well-squared stone or brick, creating an appearance similar to wooden flooring.
The building, in a plain Tudor Gothic style, has a central door in chamfered ashlar surround.
2024 March 6, Dr Joseph Brennan, “England's booking offices of distinction”, in RAIL, number 1004, page 593 more examples
The four main spans across the waterway are carried on ashlar piers founded on Memel timber piles.
1949 November and December, “Notes and News: The High Level Bridge, Newcastle”, in Railway Magazine, page 407Even as I babbled, Jock's massy frame filled the doorway, his ill-hewn ashlar head weaving from side to side, eyes blinking at the light.
1973, Kyril Bonfiglioli, Don't Point That Thing at Me, Penguin, published 2001, page 108By the Augustan period, however, the old ashlar circuit with its earthen agger was beginning to be dismantled in some places.
2012, Seth G. Bernard, “Continuing the Deabte on Rome's Earliest Circuit Walls”, in Papers of the British School at Rome, number 80, page 2 - countableuncountablearchitectureStone hewn and finished to create such masonry, either completely or as a facade over an earthen or rubble core.
And from the choir itself, where the big hoist was working, came the shouts of the men sweating at the great wheel that swung the cut stones skyward, and the men high overhead on the hurdle-walks, waiting to receive the swinging ashlars and guide them into place.
1970, Rosemary Sutcliff, The Witch`s Brat, Red Fox, published 1990, page 83
Origin
- Latinaxilla“little plank”
- Medieval Latinascelāris
- Old Frenchesselier“wooden support, traverse beam”
- Middle Englishassheler
- Englishashlar
From Middle English assheler, acheler, etc., from forms of Old French esselier (“wooden support, traverse beam”), from Medieval Latin ascelāris and assellāris (equivalent to a diminutive of early forms of ais (“plank”)), variant of *axillāris (attested only after the Renaissance), from Latin axilla (“little plank”) + -āris (“-ary: forming adjectives”), from axis (“axle, plank”) + -illa (“-ella: forming diminutives”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дя́лан ка́мък
- дя́лан ка́мък (djálan kámăk)well-finished stone intended for such work
Catalan carreu, carreuada
- carreuwell-finished stone intended for such work
- carreuadawell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Chinese Mandarin 方石
- 方石well-finished stone intended for such work
Danish kvadersten
- kvaderstenwell-finished stone intended for such work
Dutch blok natuursteen, parement
- blok natuursteenwell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
- parementwell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Finnish harkkokivi, harkkokivimuuraus
- harkkokiviwell-finished stone intended for such work
- harkkokivimuurauswell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
French pierre de taille
- pierre de taillewell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
German Quaderstein, Werkstein
- Quadersteinwell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
- Werksteinwell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Irish eisléir, eisléireacht
- eisléirwell-finished stone intended for such work
- eisléireachtwell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Italian pietra da taglio, pietra squadrata
- pietra da tagliowell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
- pietra squadratawell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
- conciowell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Polish licówka kamienna nieregularna, mur ciosowy
- licówka kamienna nieregularnawell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
- mur ciosowywell-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Portuguese cantaria
- cantariawell-finished stone intended for such work
Russian белый камень
- белый камень (belyj kamenʹ)well-finished masonry creating an effect similar to well-done wooden flooring
Spanish sillar
- sillarwell-finished stone intended for such work
Swedish kvadersten
- kvaderstenwell-finished stone intended for such work
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ashlar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashlar
“ashlar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashlar. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ashlar,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashlar.
Source: ashlar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.