Steenhouwer

Steenhouwer is a Dutch term for a craftsman who works with stone, typically translated as stonemason or stonecutter. The word combines steen (stone) and houwer (cutter, one who cuts).

Historically, steenhouwers were skilled artisans responsible for quarrying, shaping, dressing, and finishing stone for buildings, bridges, monuments, and sculpture. They used hand tools such as chisels, hammers, and stone-cutting saws, and often belonged to guilds or training systems in medieval and early modern Europe.

In contemporary Dutch usage, the occupation is more commonly described with terms such as stonemason or stone carver, and steenhouwer appears mainly in historical contexts or as a surname rather than as a current job title.

As a surname, steenhouwer is present in the Netherlands and other Dutch-speaking regions, reflecting ancestral association with the stone-working trade.

Related topics include stonemasonry, stone carving, and masonry.