watercolor

noun

wa·​ter·​col·​or ˈwȯ-tər-ˌkə-lər How to pronounce watercolor (audio)
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 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 Smithsonian exhibit contains a number of items from Arete and a watercolor painting of the ship. George Petras, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024 Unlike other watercolor paint kits, this one is mess-free and doesn’t involve any cleanup. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024 Francis Mechner remembers everything, including the time his family used watercolor paintings by Hitler to save their lives. Gene Park, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024 Some of the Trumps' digital trading cards resemble him as cartoon characters, such as a superhero, whereas Melania Trump's cards feature watercolor paintings of her as well as flowers. Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024 The Macallan collaborated with artist Michelle Lucking to create a watercolor painting on the box that was meant to capture the spirit of both the river and the whisky. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024 Using the china for inspiration, paint pansies, ranunculus, and other flowers using watercolors on the eggs. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 The title also conveys the fluid, organic nature of watercolor, juxtaposed with cold, hard, non-living metal. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 The presentation features more than 40 paintings and 10 serigraphs in her distinct abstract style, but also a variety of earlier landscape watercolors, sumi ink drawings, figurative paintings, ephemera, and formative works from as early as 1938. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'watercolor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of watercolor was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near watercolor

Cite this Entry

“Watercolor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watercolor. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

watercolor

noun
wa·​ter·​col·​or ˈwȯt-ər-ˌkəl-ər How to pronounce watercolor (audio)
ˈwät-
1
: a paint whose liquid part is water
2
: a picture painted with watercolor
3
: the art of painting with watercolor
watercolorist noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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