Editing Bricklayer (section)

{{Short description|Craftsperson and tradesperson who lays bricks to construct brickwork}}
{{for|the photograph|Bricklayer (photograph)}}
{{Infobox occupation
| name               = Bricklayer
| synonyms           = Builder, construction worker
| pronounce          = ˈbrɪkleɪə
| image              = Kuben murer.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = Bricklayer apprentice practising at [[Kuben Vocational Arena]] in [[Oslo]], [[Norway]]
| official_names     = 
| type               = [[Artisan|Craftsperson]]
| activity_sector    = [[Construction]]
| competencies       = 
| formation          = [[Apprenticeship]]
| employment_field   = [[Civil engineering]]
| related_occupation = 
}}
[[File:The Employment of Women in Britain, 1914-1918 Q28190.jpg|thumb|A team of bricklayers preparing to lay courses of bricks (1917)]]
[[File:Brickwork 1.png|thumb|Illustration of how the bricklayer, on clearing the footings of a wall, builds up six or eight courses of bricks at the external angles]]

A '''bricklayer''', which is related to but different from a '''mason''', is a [[Artisan|craftsperson]] and [[tradesperson]] who lays [[brick]]s to construct [[brickwork]]. The terms also refer to personnel who use [[Cinder block|blocks]] to construct blockwork walls and other forms of [[masonry]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Masonry Skills |author= Richard T. Kreh|year= 2003|publisher=Thomson Delmar Learning|isbn=0-7668-5936-3}}</ref> In [[British English|British]] and [[Australian English]], a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/bricklayer |title=bricklayer noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes &#124; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com |website=Oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com |access-date=2017-04-02 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A [[stone mason]] is one who lays any combination of stones, cinder blocks, and bricks in construction of building walls and other works.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stonemason {{!}} Explore careers {{!}} National Careers Service |url=https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/stonemason |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930091058/https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/stonemason |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=nationalcareers.service.gov.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> Bricklaying is a part of masonry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bricklayer Job Description |url=https://work.chron.com/bricklayer-job-description-11161.html |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Chron |language=en-US}}</ref>

Bricklaying may also be enjoyed as a [[recreational activity|hobby]]. For example, the former British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] did bricklaying as a hobby.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Glueckstein |first1=Fred |title=Churchill as Bricklayer |url=https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/finest-hour/finest-hour-157/churchill-as-bricklayer/ |website=International Churchill Society |date=March 2015 |access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref>

Bricklayers occasionally enter competitions where both speed and accuracy are judged. The largest is the "Spec-Mix Bricklayer 500" held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-10 |title='Spec Mix Bricklayer 500' incites fierce competition and ample learning in masonry |url=https://news.yahoo.com/spec-mix-bricklayer-500-incites-222906586.html |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® {{!}} SPEC MIX |url=https://www.specmix.com/spec-mix-bricklayer-500/ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=www.specmix.com}}</ref>