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.
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.
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.
Origin of contour
1655–65; < French, equivalent to con-con- + tour a turn (see tour), modeled on Italiancontorno, derivative of contornare to outline; see turn
Related formsre·con·tour, verb (used with object)un·con·toured, adjective
1660s, a term in painting and sculpture, from French contour "circumference, outline," from Italian and Medieval Latin contornare "to go around," from Latin com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + tornare "to turn (on a lathe);" see turn (v.).
First recorded application to topography is from 1769. Earlier the word was used to mean "bedspread, quilt" (early 15c.) in reference to its falling over the sides of the mattress. Related: Contoured. Contour line in geography is from 1844.
