gesso

[ jes-oh ]
/ ˈdʒɛs oʊ /

noun, plural ges·soes.

gypsum or plaster of Paris prepared with glue for use as a surface for painting.
any plasterlike preparation to prepare a surface for painting, gilding, etc.
a prepared surface of plaster or plasterlike material for painting, gilding, etc.

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Origin of gesso

1590–1600; <Italian <Latin gypsumgypsum

Words nearby gesso

Gesner, gesneria, gesneriad, gesneria family, Gessen, gesso, gest, gestagen, gestalt, gestaltism, gestalt phenomenon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for gesso

British Dictionary definitions for gesso

gesso
/ (ˈdʒɛsəʊ) /

noun

a white ground of plaster and size, used esp in the Middle Ages and Renaissance to prepare panels or canvas for painting or gilding
any white substance, esp plaster of Paris, that forms a ground when mixed with water

Word Origin for gesso

C16: from Italian: chalk, gypsum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012