contour

American  

[kon-toor] / ˈkɒn tʊər /

noun

1. the outline of a figure or body; the edge or line that defines or bounds a shape or object.

   Synonyms:

   boundary, form, configuration

2. contour line.

3. Phonetics. a distinctive pattern of changes in pitch, stress, or tone extending across all or part of an utterance, especially across a sentence, and contributing to meaning.

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verb (used with object)

1. to mark with contour lines.

2. to make or form the contour or outline of.

3. to build (a road, railroad track, etc.) in conformity with the contour of the land.

4. to mold or shape so as to fit a certain configuration.

   cars with seats that are contoured for comfort.

5. to apply foundation and bronzer along the natural bone structure of (the face) to create definition.

   ways to contour your nose.

adjective

1. molded or shaped to fit a particular contour or form.

   contour seats.

2. Agriculture. of or used in a system of plowing, cultivating, sowing, etc., along the contour lines of the land in order to trap water runoff and prevent erosion.

contour British  

/ ˈkɒntʊə /

noun

1. the outline of a mass of land, figure, or body; a defining line

2. 1. See contour line

   2. ( as modifier )

      a contour map

3. (often plural) the shape or surface, esp of a curving form

   the contours of her body were full and round

4. (modifier) shaped to fit the form of something

   a contour chair

5. a rising and falling variation pattern, as in music and intonation

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verb

1. to shape so as to form the contour of something

2. to mark contour lines on

3. to construct (a road, railway, etc) to follow the outline of the land

Other Word Forms

• recontour verb (used with object)
• uncontoured adjective

Etymology

Origin of contour

First recorded in 1655–65; from French, equivalent to con- + tour “a turn,” modeled on Italian contorno, derivative of contornare “to outline”; con-, tour, turn

Example Sentences

Yes, the contour palette is back, though Patrick says “no-makeup makeup” is still very much here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

Sometimes they are used to contour or shape the nose or lips.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

And even that contour was ever-changing, different depending on what form Mansfield took on to please the world.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2025

Sometimes, Goode included a contour drawing of the bottle behind it on the canvas, suggesting that one is the projection of the other.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2025

No solid contour was certain, but all devolved with the evening into one crabbed mass, gnarled and dark beneath the moon.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• curve
• silhouette