wife in water colours
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A mistress, or concubine; water colours being, like their engagements, easily effaced, or dissolved.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Người tình, hoặc người thiếp, giống như màu nước dễ phai
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “wife in water colours” mean?
A mistress, or concubine; water colours being, like their engagements, easily effaced, or dissolved.
Is “wife in water colours” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.