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

But to my surprise, these watercolors have bucked the trend. — Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

In the summers since, aura nails have softened, turning into watercolor-like gradients that float across understated nude bases. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 23 June 2026

The cotton shirt dress is a summer classic and when paired with statement jewelry this watercolor gingham offers a playful twist on a traditional look. — Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026

Paul would need to be in his stone turret office on the idyllic watercolor of a campus five days a week. — Literary Hub, 18 June 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