stucco
- 01 C1 Advanced
a type of plaster used to cover the outside or inside walls of a building.
a material consisting of an aggregate, a binder, and water, applied wet and hardening to a very dense solid; used as a coating for walls and ceilings.
Simple“The white stucco walls of the villa stayed cool even in the hot afternoon sun.”
In context“The architect specified a traditional lime-based stucco for the exterior to ensure the historic building could breathe while resisting moisture.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the material itself.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
decorative patterns or shapes made from plaster on walls or ceilings.
architectural ornamentation or mouldings executed in stucco.
Simple“The ceiling was decorated with beautiful stucco flowers and leaves.”
In context“The palace interior is renowned for its elaborate Baroque stucco, featuring intricate cherubs and floral garlands that frame the grand mirrors.”
Synonyms
Borrowed from Italian stucco (“coating made of pulverised gypsum, plaster, stucco”) from Old Italian stucco, from Lombardic stucki, stucchi (“crust, fragment, piece”) from Proto-Germanic stukkiją (“stump, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewg- (“to shock, butt, impact”). Akin to German Stück (“piece”), Old Saxon stukki (“piece, fragment”) and Old English stycce. Related to stock.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.