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 accessory comes in eight designs, including a basic carbon black hue, a black-and-white topographic Yellowstone pattern, a shopper-favorite watercolor world map print, and the celestial, starry sky depiction. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 12 Nov. 2023

The local artist achieved this by brushing paper with water and then making the image on the wet surface with watercolor, sumi ink and other substances. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023

Poster Many of our favorite cheesy after-school snacks from Cheez-It to Goldfish and Babybel get the watercolor treatment in this cheerful poster. —Devra Ferst, Bon Appétit, 10 Nov. 2023

The special occasion's décor included watercolor paintings and art inspired by the ocean waves. —Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023

That same day, a company linked to Mr. Black used the proceeds from that sale to buy a watercolor painting by Paul Cezanne for $30 million. —Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2023

These durable towels reflect Amanda Klein’s unique watercolor style and showcase each U.S. state’s official flower. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2023

Not like any other photograph Trump facing charges is by now a familiar sight of 2023 to Americans who watched him stand before a judge in a New York courtroom or saw watercolor sketches from the inside of federal courthouses in Miami and Washington, where cameras aren’t allowed. —Jonathan J. Cooper, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023

Although Castle made works with color, utilizing a variety of materials that include laundry bluing, watercolor, crayon and even colored ink leached from magazine pages, these are black soot-and-spit. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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