watercolor

noun wa·ter·col·or \ ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lər , ˈwä- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of watercolor

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

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watercolor

adjective

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watercolorist

play \ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lə-rist, ˈwä-\ noun

See watercolor defined for English-language learners

See watercolor defined for kids

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 of watercolor from the Web

Image Broken laptops, books held together with duct tape, an art teacher who makes watercolors by soaking old markers.

— New York Times, "25-Year-Old Textbooks and Holes in the Ceiling: Inside America’s Public Schools," 16 Apr. 2018
McManus was also an accomplished painter, favoring watercolor landscapes, his wife Darlene McManus said in a prepared statement.

— Washington Post, "Outdoors humor columnist Patrick F. McManus dies at 84," 13 Apr. 2018
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), based on a 10th-century Japanese folktale, is a visually flabbergasting work drawn in fluid charcoal strokes and watercolors.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Remembering Animation's Legendary Isao Takahata," 11 Apr. 2018
Look to the ocean for tabletop inspiration by choosing pretty, sea glass colored drinkware and watercolor patterned china.

— danielle blundell, ELLE Decor, "5 Spring Trends to Spruce Up Your Space," 9 Apr. 2018
Breaking traditions further, Lisa often uses traditional Chinese ink and watercolor materials in a nontraditional uncontrolled, freeflowing way often mixed with unconventional materials.

— tara massouleh, AL.com, "April Events: Food festivals, Magic City Art Connection, and more," 6 Apr. 2018
The digital watercolor-style illustration by Scott Magoon catches Jess in the middle of her follow-through, right arm extended, pony tail flowing behind, eyes trained on the disc.

— eric moskowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "A glittering transformation: The art of resetting jewels into striking new jewelry," 30 Mar. 2018
To create the watercolor affect, place cakes on a revolving cake stand one at a time.

— ana calderone, PEOPLE.com, "We Made Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Cake Based on Their Description," 21 Mar. 2018
The muted palette of blue, green, and blush tones mimicked the effect of a Monet watercolor, while embellished appliqués at the shoulder and waist added a touch of regal glamour.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Kate Moss Was The Best-Dressed Guest At This European Royal Wedding," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'watercolor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of watercolor

1596

WATERCOLOR Defined for English Language Learners

watercolor

noun

Definition of watercolor for English Language Learners

: a type of paint that is mixed with water
: a picture painted with watercolors

WATERCOLOR Defined for Kids

watercolor

noun wa·ter·col·or \ ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lər , ˈwä- \

Definition of watercolor for Students

1 : a paint whose liquid part is water

2 : a picture painted with watercolor

3 : the art of painting with watercolor

Learn More about watercolor

See words that rhyme with watercolor Spanish Central: Translation of watercolor Nglish: Translation of watercolor for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about watercolor

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watercolor

Definition of watercolor

watercolor

watercolorist

Examples of watercolor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of watercolor from the Web

First Known Use of watercolor

WATERCOLOR Defined for English Language Learners

watercolor

Definition of watercolor for English Language Learners

WATERCOLOR Defined for Kids

watercolor

Definition of watercolor for Students

Learn More about watercolor

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watercolor

Definition of watercolor

watercolor

watercolorist

Examples of watercolor in a Sentence

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First Known Use of watercolor

WATERCOLOR Defined for English Language Learners

watercolor

Definition of watercolor for English Language Learners

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watercolor

Definition of watercolor for Students

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