0 a mixture of plaster (= a substance that becomes hard and smooth as it dries) and glue, used in painting, sculpture, and as a base for decorating wood:
She returned to painting, with soft acrylic washes thinly applied over eight coats of gesso in pinks, blues and yellows.
He applies eight coats of gesso and sands between each coat.
A "santo" as an object means a religious figure carved of wood, covered with gesso, carved in detail, and then painted.
