contour

[ kon-toor ]

/ ˈkɒn tʊər /

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See synonyms for: contour / contoured / contouring on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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.

verb (used with object)

to mark with contour lines.

to make or form the contour or outline of.

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

to mold or shape so as to fit a certain configuration: cars with seats that are contoured for comfort.

to apply foundation and bronzer along the natural bone structure of (the face) to create definition: ways to contour your nose.

adjective

molded or shaped to fit a particular contour or form: contour seats.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR contour

1 configuration, form, boundary.

See synonyms for contour on Thesaurus.com

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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”; see origin at con-, tour,turn

OTHER WORDS FROM contour

re·con·tour, verb (used with object)un·con·toured, adjective

Words nearby contour

contort, contorted, contortion, contortionist, contortive, contour, contour curtain, contour feather, contouring, contour integration, contour interval

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use contour in a sentence

There’s a broader struggle still underway over the contours of the regional order, and that is partly what motivates him.
Erdogan Pitches Himself as Muslim World’s New Leader|Charu Kasturi|September 10, 2020|Ozy
Leather looks nice and lasts a lifetime, but it can’t retain a knife with the security of Kydex, a type of plastic that’s heat-molded to fit the exact contours of a specific knife model.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
Because Kydex can snap around the blade’s rear and the handle’s contours, the material can be used to retain a knife in a variety of positions, including upside down, while still allowing you to quickly deploy it using a single hand.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
It uses 3D laser-sensor technology, also known as lidar, to capture the contours of a gymnast’s body.
A robot referee can really keep its ‘eye’ on the ball|Kathryn Hulick|August 20, 2020|Science News For Students

Magnetic field lines, imaginary contours that indicate the direction of the magnetic field at various locations, loop and cross over one another like well-mixed spaghetti.
The physics of solar flares could help scientists predict imminent outbursts|Emily Conover|July 30, 2020|Science News
It also reveals in vivid visual form the precise contour of the transition.
Why Big Data Doesn’t Live up to the Hype|Nick Romeo|January 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Under the one-sixth they appear as slender, highly refractive fibers with double contour and, often, curled or split ends.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
I hastily ran over the contour of the country we had passed through, and saw that indeed the spring must be its headwaters.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
The eagle disappeared into the air, while the soldier admired the curved contour of the panther.
A Passion in the Desert|Honore de Balzac
He banked left and followed the contour of the mountain, and found another group of soldiers camped near the pumice works.
The Flaming Mountain|Harold Leland Goodwin
The rather flabby lines of his face had abruptly hardened over the firm contour below.
Average Jones|Samuel Hopkins Adams

British Dictionary definitions for contour

contour

/ (ˈkɒntʊə) /

noun

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

See contour line
(as modifier)a contour map

(often plural) the shape or surface, esp of a curving formthe contours of her body were full and round

(modifier) shaped to fit the form of somethinga contour chair

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

verb (tr)

to shape so as to form the contour of something

to mark contour lines on

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

Word Origin for contour

C17: from French, from Italian contorno, from contornare to sketch, from tornare to turn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

contour

OTHER WORDS FOR contour

Origin of contour

OTHER WORDS FROM contour

Words nearby contour

Words related to contour

How to use contour in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for contour

Word Origin for contour