watercolour
/ˈwɔː.tə.kʌl.ə/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Watercolour is paint mixed with water, or a painting made with that paint. It usually looks light and see-through.
- She painted the sky in watercolour.
- This watercolour uses soft blue tones.
verb
To watercolour something means to paint it with watercolour paint.
- We watercoloured the landscape at art class.
- She watercoloured the flowers first.
Adinary Nuance
Watercolour is close to "painting," but it names a specific type of paint and artwork. It is more exact than "art" or "picture" when you mean this light, watery style. In British English, "watercolour" is the common spelling; American English often uses "watercolor".
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- màu nước
- Spanish
- acuarela
- Chinese
- 水彩
- Japanese
- 水彩画
- Korean
- 수채화
Etymology
Watercolour came into English in the 1600s from water + colour. The word reflects the paint’s main feature: colour mixed with water.
Common phrases
watercolour paintinga watercolour portraitpaint in watercoloura watercolour wash
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is watercolour the same as painting?
- Not exactly. Watercolour is one kind of painting made with water-based paint.
- Is watercolour British English?
- Yes, this spelling is standard in British English. American English usually spells it "watercolor".
- How do I use watercolour in a sentence?
- You can say, "She paints in watercolour" or "This is a watercolour of the sea."