Bis'ter or Bis'tre, n.

n. [Fr. bistre, perhaps from bis, brown, swarthy, L. Lat. bisus, Sp. bazo, Bisc. baza, beza, beltza, black. Cf., however, L. Ger. biester, frowning, dark, ugly. See also BOISTEROUS.] (Paint.) A dark-brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood.