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

The watercolor artist recently moved to San Diego from Rhode Island. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026

Nail artists don’t use actual watercolors, of course, but the technique required to create this look is not far from how a painter maneuvers their brush on a canvas. —Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026

Alice Webb, who died in 2022, was a local artist and art teacher who touched many lives through her watercolors, oils and etchings. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2026

Merrill had also been selling prints of her watercolor paintings on Etsy, and as her YouTube following grew, so did her number of orders. —Gili Malinsky tasia Jensen, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026

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