watercolor

[ waw-ter-kuhl-er, wot-er- ]

noun

1. a pigment for which water and not oil is used as the vehicle.
2. the art or technique of painting with such pigments.
3. a painting or design executed in such pigments by this technique.

Other Words From

• water-color adjective
• water·color·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of watercolor¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; water + color

Example Sentences

“Here’s me,” Andrew Garfield says, gesturing toward a medieval watercolor of a lion.

From Los Angeles Times

Charcoal and pottery tempted her, but she settled on watercolor.

From New York Times

It was to the children’s writer and illustrator Tasha Tudor, known as much for her total commitment to living an 1830s lifestyle as for her watercolors of corgis and children.

From New York Times

The plan is to draft a freely available, ethically sourced road map to the entire body that eclipses the weathered volumes of watercolors from Pernkopf and honors the Nazis’ victims.

From Los Angeles Times

She was surrounded by long bulletin boards, on which she had tacked dozens of her gem-colored watercolor works and ink drawings, along with images of shapes that inspire her.

From New York Times

Related Words

• art
• canvas
• composition
• design
• drawing
• mural
• picture
• portrait