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

Earlier this year a rare watercolor landscape by 19th century Philadelphia artist William H. Dorsey was found in a thrift store in Glendale, Pennsylvania. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025

As with many watercolors, his interpretation of one of the 20th century’s most recognizable moments was messy, but beautiful. —Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Jan. 2025

But don't use paper cartons as palettes for high-quality watercolor or acrylic paint—the carton will soak up the water in the paint and turn soggy! —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2025

The painting turned out to be a watercolor by the English artist J.M.W. Turner. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025

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