Freemason
/ˈfriːmeɪs(ə)n
/noun
A member of an international order established for mutual help and fellowship, which holds elaborate secret ceremonies.He was also a respected and long-serving member of his local Freemasons fraternity, an exclusively male society....
- The Ancient and Accepted Order of Freemasons originated in London in the early 1700s and spread to colonial America.
- Its structure, organization, and code are the valuable trade secrets of the Freemasons, probably.
The original free masons were itinerant skilled stonemasons of the 14th century, who are said to have recognized fellow craftsmen by secret signs. Modern freemasonry is usually traced to the formation of the Grand Lodge in London in 1717; members are typically professionals and businessmen.