watercolor

noun

wa·​ter·​col·​or ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lər 

ˈwä-

1

: a paint of which the liquid is a water dispersion of the binding material (such as glue, casein, or gum)

2

: the art or method of painting with watercolors

3

: a picture or design executed in watercolors

watercolor adjective

watercolorist

ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lə-rist 

ˈwä-

noun

Examples of watercolor in a Sentence

a landscape done in watercolor

He only works in watercolors.

We bought a watercolor of the shore.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Artist Loft features artists in residence who teach workshops in various mediums, from collage to watercolor. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

The vast, hectic watercolors of Gladys Nilsson are full of celebrations and small tragedies alike. — The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026

Korsgaard’s lovely watercolor paintings adorn the book’s endpapers and recap the monthly finds described in each chapter. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026

As ARTnews previously reported, the daughters of Holocaust survivor Dina Gottliebova Babbit are suing the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum for the return of watercolors that their mother was forced to paint while imprisoned in the concentration camp. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for watercolor

• multicolor
• technicolor
• unicolor
• versicolor
• bicolor
• concolor
• discolor
• tricolor
• color
• colour
• culler
• duller

Kids Definition

watercolor

noun

wa·​ter·​col·​or ˈwȯt-ər-ˌkəl-ər 

ˈwät-

1

: a paint whose liquid part is water

2

: a picture painted with watercolor

3

: the art of painting with watercolor

watercolorist

-ˌkəl-ə-rəst 

noun