The term ‘stucco’ is of Germanic origin and its use has had many applications since the Middle Ages. These range from a coarse plaster or cement used chiefly for covering rough exterior surface of walls in imitation of stone, to a fine plaster, especially one composed of gypsum and pulverised marble, used for covering walls, ceilings and floors, and for making cornices, mouldings and other decorations. Consequently, the materials used in producing stucco vary considerably. Binders have included fully burnt gypsum; limes, sometimes with pozzolanic additives such as brick powder; cements; and linseed oil (mastic). Aggregates have included marble dust, crushed stone and sand. All have been used in varying mixes and hydraulic strengths with a wide range of colorants and other additives.

In Italy the term has had the widest use historically, generally referring to various soft materials capable of being shaped including mastic- or wax-bound glue for broken statues or lime/egg/brick powder for mosaic.(1) In England, stucco was often defined by the technique used:

Common stucco an exterior render prepared from hydraulic lime, sand and hair
Rough stucco a fine plaster of sand and lime made from chalk or a very pure limestone which was used internally to imitate stonework
Bastard stucco a superior render prepared from fat lime putty (that is to say, non-hydraulic) and fine washed sand which was applied to a good backing coat, scoured and either polished or left floated
Trowelled stucco a fat lime render applied as a normal finishing coat, scoured, polished and painted..