bistre

or bis·ter

[ bis-ter ]
/ ˈbɪs tər /

noun

a brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood, often used in pen and wash drawings.
a yellowish to dark-brown color.

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Origin of bistre

1720–30; < French, Middle French, of obscure origin

OTHER WORDS FROM bistre

bis·tred, adjective

Words nearby bistre

bistate, bister, bisto, bistort, bistoury, bistre, bistro, bisulcate, bisulfate, bisulfide, bisulfite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bistre

British Dictionary definitions for bistre

bistre

US bister

/ (ˈbɪstə) /

noun

a transparent water-soluble brownish-yellow pigment made by boiling the soot of wood, used for pen and wash drawings
  1. a yellowish-brown to dark brown colour
  2. (as modifier)bistre paint

Word Origin for bistre

C18: from French, of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012