bistre

or bis·ter

[ bis-ter ]

/ ˈbɪs tər /

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See synonyms for: 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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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