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.

SYNONYMS 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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for contour

A narrow passage contoured a pine-dotted hill, with a tiny turnaround visible about a half-mile ahead.
An Off-Grid Test of Airstream's Most Rugged Trailer|Hayden Coplen|November 22, 2020|Outside Online
In other words, Followers, Likes and re-Grams can be a practice-run for navigating the professional status-seeking that, for better or worse, contours our adult experience.
My kids are on screens more than ever during the pandemic. Here’s why I’m not panicking.|Jordan Shapiro|November 5, 2020|Washington Post
The first half of this movie is soothing, with its familiar contours of the finding-yourself-in-the-woods genre.
'Save Yourselves!' Is a Surprisingly Fun Disaster Movie|Erin Berger|October 19, 2020|Outside Online
An adjustable strap allows you to fit the mask around your head accordingly and the nose portion will contour comfortably around your face.
The best products for a better night’s sleep|PopSci Commerce Team|September 30, 2020|Popular Science

It does not have the boundaries or the contours of the state.
Why art matters at the end of the world|Constance Grady|September 25, 2020|Vox
Stillwell commenced a contoured plane-table survey of the neighbourhood of Winter Quarters.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Contoured: An irregular but smoothly undulating surface, resembling the surface of a relief map.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
A boar's head contoured in the recognizable shape but with tusks only made of pizza was a favourite alternative.
The Land of Look Behind|Paul Cameron Brown
Each vesicle is lined by an epithelium of cells provided with doubly contoured membranes, and containing nuclei.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
Pores regular, circular, about as broad as the bars, double contoured.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia)|Ernst Haeckel

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

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contour