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bistre

 - 4 dictionary results

bis⋅tre

  [bis-ter]
Use bistre in a Sentence
–noun
1. a brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood, often used in pen and wash drawings.
2. a yellowish to dark-brown color.
Also, bister.

Origin:
1720–30; < F, MF, of obscure orig.

Related forms:
bistred, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bistre
bis·ter or bis·tre   (bĭs'tər)   
n.  

  1. A water-soluble, yellowish-brown pigment.

  2. A grayish to yellowish brown.


[French bistre.]
bis'tered adj.
bis·tre   (bĭs'tər)   
n.  Variant of bister.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

bistre

brown pigment made from boiling the soot of wood. Because bistre is transparent and has no body, it is frequently used in conjunction with pen and ink drawings as a wash, a liquid spread evenly to suggest shadows, and is especially associated with the appearance of the typical "old master drawing."

Learn more about bistre with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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