gesso
noun
ges·so ˈje-(ˌ)sō 
plural gessoes
1
: plaster of paris or gypsum prepared with glue for use in painting or making bas-reliefs
2
: a paste prepared by mixing whiting with size or glue and spread upon a surface to fit it for painting or gilding
gessoed
ˈje-(ˌ)sōd
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web And so the Graces dance around its frame, Pan pipes, the gesso birds fly, and the mirror records the days and seasons. 
Perdita Buchan, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2022 Per ARTnews’ Alex Greenberger, the artist planned to prepare a wall in the government building for the painting by layering gesso and oil on it. Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Oct. 2020 Set to an orchestral background, the video shows master gilder Karen Haslewood peeling off gold leaves and brushing them onto the back cover of the hair dryers, which have been painted with a red gesso. Dami Lee, The Verge, 29 Aug. 2018 Items from Egypt include an Old Kingdom limestone tomb relief; a Ptolemaic-period stele with the leonine gods Bes and Tutu; a wood, gesso and paint cat coffin; and a 2,000-or-so-year-old bronze cat statuette that has Old Hollywood history too. Anita Gates, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2018 Edges where the gesso has accumulated surround the still plane like a rugged shoreline, rimed with color. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 13 Mar. 2018 Although the group uses modern painting materials, the icons are painted on birchwood panel boards which are prepared with cloth and gesso, a paint mixture, similar to how they were painted 500 years ago, Zimmerman said. Cathy Janek, Aurora Beacon-News, 23 Mar. 2018 Amm stretches linen over panels and builds up thick, smooth gesso work surfaces. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 13 Mar. 2018 See More
Perdita Buchan, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2022 Per ARTnews’ Alex Greenberger, the artist planned to prepare a wall in the government building for the painting by layering gesso and oil on it. Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Oct. 2020 Set to an orchestral background, the video shows master gilder Karen Haslewood peeling off gold leaves and brushing them onto the back cover of the hair dryers, which have been painted with a red gesso. Dami Lee, The Verge, 29 Aug. 2018 Items from Egypt include an Old Kingdom limestone tomb relief; a Ptolemaic-period stele with the leonine gods Bes and Tutu; a wood, gesso and paint cat coffin; and a 2,000-or-so-year-old bronze cat statuette that has Old Hollywood history too. Anita Gates, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2018 Edges where the gesso has accumulated surround the still plane like a rugged shoreline, rimed with color. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 13 Mar. 2018 Although the group uses modern painting materials, the icons are painted on birchwood panel boards which are prepared with cloth and gesso, a paint mixture, similar to how they were painted 500 years ago, Zimmerman said. Cathy Janek, Aurora Beacon-News, 23 Mar. 2018 Amm stretches linen over panels and builds up thick, smooth gesso work surfaces. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 13 Mar. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Italian, literally, gypsum, from Latin gypsum
First Known Use
1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1