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

Both kids and adults can take classes in pottery, drawing, watercolors, and acrylics at the art center. —Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2026

Lindsay displays a strong desire to learn and explore artistic processes and focuses on, oil paint, acrylic paint, watercolors and most recently digital painting. —Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026

Flowers, too, are reemerging once again (yes, florals for spring), but with a few modern touches like abstract petals, dreamy watercolor washes, and multidimensional accents. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026

Back then, its namesake group of painters showcased their watercolors at the Newlyn Art Gallery; today the Newlyn School of Art taps into that cultural heritage with one-day courses in experimental portraits, seascapes, and abstraction, all taught by local artists. —Issy Von Simson, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 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