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

Each small white panel contained a watercolor painting of a woman wearing traditional Saudi garb. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 13 Sep. 2024

Clients will see their projects visualized in watercolors and virtual reality renderings, experiencing the best of the past and present modes of design. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 12 Aug. 2024

Very New Orleans: A Celebration of History, Culture, and Cajun Country Charm by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler In Very New Orleans, artist Dianna Gessler uses watercolor and sketches to bring the vibrant city of New Orleans to life. —Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 10 July 2024

Hand likes to think of skin tints as watercolor and tinted moisturizers as paint. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 24 July 2024

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