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

Waiters flit by with watercolor-red curlicues of marbled pork, baskets stacked with lettuce leaves. —Irene Yoo september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025

As a result, the colors from the watercolor remain more vibrant. —Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025

The work was also funded from the proceeds of the historical society’s 2023 upscale tag sale of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe furnishings and watercolor paintings. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025

The Hilberts collected watercolors, oil paintings, and prints depicting everyday life in California plus major collections of animation and movie production art, and American illustrations. —Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

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