bistre

or bis·ter

[ bis-ter ]

/ ˈbɪs tər /

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See synonyms for: bistre / bistred on Thesaurus.com

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

bistred, adjective

Words nearby bistre

bistate, bister, Bisto, bistort, bistoury, bistre, bistro, bisulcate, bisulfate, bisulfide, bisulfite

How to use bistre in a sentence

Land was left on the starboard at a distance of about fifteen miles; the mountains seemed tinged with a red-coloured bistre.
The English at the North Pole|Jules Verne
A plate painted in bistre camaïeu with the Discovery of Calisto by Diana.
The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods|William Chaffers
His eldest son was named after me, "Robert Bistre," for such is my name, which I have often thought of changing.
George Bowring - A Tale Of Cader Idris|R. D. Blackmore
One hundred copies printed upon Japan paper, with illustrations in two states, blue and bistre.
A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 1 of 3)|Various

No. 76 of eighty copies printed on Japanese vellum, with frontispiece in two colours, black and bistre.
A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 2 of 3)|Various

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

a yellowish-brown to dark brown colour
(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