contour

con·tour

 (kŏn′to͝or′)

n.

1.

a. The outline of a figure, body, or mass. See Synonyms at form.

b. A line that represents such an outline. See Synonyms at outline.

2. A contour line.

3.

a. A varying characteristic or quality of something, such as a melody.

b. Linguistics The distinctive rising and falling patterns of pitch, tone, or stress.

tr.v. con·toured, con·tour·ing, con·tours

1. To make or shape the outline of; represent in contour.

2. To build (a road, for example) to follow the contour of the land.

adj.

1. Following the contour lines of uneven terrain to limit erosion of topsoil: contour plowing.

2. Shaped to fit the outline or form of something: a contour sheet.

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[French, alteration (influenced by tour, turn) of Italian contorno, from contornare, to draw in outline : Latin com-, intensive pref.; see com- + Latin tornāre, to round off (from tornus, lathe, from Greek tornos; see terə- in Indo-European roots).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

contour

(ˈkɒntʊə)

n

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

2. (Physical Geography)

a. See contour line

b. (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. (Phonetics & Phonology) a rising and falling variation pattern, as in music and intonation

vb (tr)

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

7. (Physical Geography) to mark contour lines on

8. (Civil Engineering) to construct (a road, railway, etc) to follow the outline of the land

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•tour

(ˈkɒn tʊər)

n.

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

2. contour line.

3. a distinctive pattern of changes in pitch, stress, or tone extending across all or part of an utterance.

v.t.

4. to mark with contour lines.

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

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

7. to mold or shape so as to fit a certain configuration or form: seats contoured for comfort.

adj.

8. molded or shaped to fit a particular contour or form: contour sheets.

9. of or pertaining to a system of cultivating hilly land along the natural contours of the slopes in order to prevent runoff and erosion.

[1655–65; < French, =con- con- + tour a turn (see tour), modeled on Italian contorno, derivative of contornare to outline]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

contour

Past participle: contoured
Gerund: contouring

Imperative

contour

contour

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	contour - a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height contour line isometric, isometric line - a line connecting isometric points thalweg - a line following the lowest points of a valley
	2.	contour - any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes" shape, configuration, conformation, form keenness, sharpness - thinness of edge or fineness of point bluntness, dullness - without sharpness or clearness of edge or point; "the dullness of the pencil made his writing illegible" spatial property, spatiality - any property relating to or occupying space topography - the configuration of a surface and the relations among its man-made and natural features lobularity - the property of having lobules concaveness, concavity - the property possessed by a concave shape convexity, convexness - the property possessed by a convex shape angularity - the property possessed by a shape that has angles narrowing - an instance of becoming narrow curvature, curve - the property possessed by the curving of a line or surface roundness - the property possessed by a line or surface that is curved and not angular straightness - freedom from crooks or curves or bends or angles crookedness - having or distinguished by crooks or curves or bends or angles stratification - a layered configuration
	3.	contour - a feature (or the order or arrangement of features) of anything having a complex structure; "the contours of the melody"; "it defines a major contour of this administration" characteristic, feature - a prominent attribute or aspect of something; "the map showed roads and other features"; "generosity is one of his best characteristics"
Verb	1.	contour - form the contours of limn, outline, delineate - trace the shape of streamline - contour economically or efficiently

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

contour

noun outline, profile, lines, form, figure, shape, relief, curve, silhouette The light of dawn began to outline the contours of the hills.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

contour

noun

A line marking and shaping the outer form of an object:

delineation, outline, profile, silhouette.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

خَريطَة ذات خُطوط مُناسِبخُطوط، تَخْطيط، مُحيط

obrysvrstevnice

højdekurvekonturomrids

KonturUmrisslinieIsogramm

contour

körvonalak

hæîarlínaútlína

contornocurva di livello

horizontalėizohipsėkontūras

apveidskontūrakontūrlīnija

høydekurvekonturkoteomriss

абрис

çevre çizgisieş yükselti eğrisi

等高线轮廓

contour

[ˈkɒntʊəʳ]

A. N → contorno m

B. CPD contour flying N → vuelo m rasante
contour line N → curva f de nivel
contour map N → plano m acotado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

contour

[ˈkɒntʊə^r]

n

(= line, shape) [body, car, object] → contour m, profil m

(also contour line) (on map) → courbe f de niveau

contours npl (= shape) → formes fpl

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

contour

n

(= outline) → Kontur f, → Umriss m

contours pl (= shape) → Konturen pl; the contours of her body → ihre Konturen

(Geog) → Höhenlinie f

vt road → der Gegend anpassen; land → hügelig anlegen; map → mit Höhenlinien versehen

---

contour

(Geog):

contour line

n → Höhenlinie f

contour map

n → Höhenlinienkarte f

contour sheet

n (US) → Spannbettlaken nt, → Spannbetttuch nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

contour

[ˈkɒntʊəʳ] n → contorno, profilo (also contour line) → curva di livello, isoipsa

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

contour

(ˈkontuə) noun

1. an outline. the contours of the coastline. kontoer خُطوط، تَخْطيط، مُحيط контура contorno obrys die Kontur kontur; omrids περίγραμμαcontorno piirjoon نما؛ نمود ääriviiva contour קַו מִתאָר आकार obris körvonal(ak) kontur útlína profilo 輪郭 윤곽 kontūras kontūra; apveids garisan kontur omtrekkontur, omrisskontur خاكه: طرح: په ليكو يا كرښوكې ايسار شوې يا احاطه شوى مورګه، څنډه، غاړه (لكه دسيند)، كانتور contorno contur контур obrys obris kontura kontur เส้นขอบ çevre çizgisi 輪廓 контур, обрис خدوخال، نشيب وفراز đường nét 轮廓

2. (also contour line) on a map, a line joining points at the same height or depth. kontoerlyn خَريطَة ذات خُطوط مُناسِب очертание contorno vrstevnice die Umrißlinie højdekurve ισοϋψής καμπύλη (σε χάρτη) curva samakõrgusjoon خط تراز korkeuskäyrä courbe de niveau קָוֵוי גוֹבָה रूप-रेखा kontura körvonal(ak) garis kontur hæðarlína linea/curva di livello 等高線 등고선 horizontalė, izohipsė kontūrlīnija peta kontur hoogtelijnhøydekurve, kote warstwica خط contorno curbă de nivel горизонталь vrstevnica izohipsa izohipsa nivåkurva แนวเส้นบนแผนที่บอกระดับความสูงหรือความลึกที่เท่ากัน eş yükselti eğrisi 等高線 накреслений в горизонталях خط ارتفاع đường bình đồ 等高线

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

con·tour

n. contorno.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

contour

n contorno

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.