Gouache

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɡwɑːʃ/

Definitions

1. A form of paint that is characterized by its opacity and water solubility, commonly utilized in fine arts
2. An artistic medium that blends elements of both watercolor and acrylic, yielding vibrant tones and a non-reflective surface
3. A type of artistic paint known for its thick, opaque consistency and water solubility, often used for a matte finish in illustration and fine art projects

Etymology: The word arrived in English straight from French, where it kept its foreign spelling and sound, so the "ou" still holds the old French value and the word is pronounced "gwash." Its French form came from Italian "guazzo," a word meaning a pool or puddle of water, which points to the thin, watery quality of the paint it names. The two words are doublets: they share an ancestor but reached English by different routes, and "guazzo" itself stayed in Italian as the source of the English word "wash." That shared root is the surprising link. A painter's "wash" and a painter's "gouache" both trace back to the same Italian idea of standing water, one having passed through English and the other through French. The French version kept a stronger hold on the art world, which is why the term for opaque, chalky water paint is still the French one.