|
| con·tour [ kón tr ] |
noun (plural con·tours) |
|
| Definition: |
| |
1. outline: an outline, especially of something curved or irregular
(
often used in the plural
)
 The contours of the hills were characteristically rounded.
|
2. general nature: the general character or nature of something
 scenes that establish the contour of the play
|
3. geography Same as contour line
|
adjective |
|
| Definition: |
| |
1. shaped or fitted: shaped to fit something, especially the shape of somebody's body
 contour furniture
|
2. following land's shape: following the lay of the land, rather than cutting through or across it
 contour farming
|
transitive verb (past and past participle con·toured, present participle con·tour·ing, 3rd person present singular con·tours) |
|
| Definition: |
| |
1. shape something to fit: to shape one thing so that it fits the outlines of another
 furniture that is contoured to the human body
|
2. put contour lines on map: to mark contour lines on something such as a map
|
3. make something follow shape of land: to build or operate something so that it follows the natural shape of the land
 roads that are sensitively contoured
|
| [Mid-17th century. < French< Italian contornare "draw in outline," literally "turn with" < Latin tornare (see turn)] |