contour
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contour
- /ˈkɒntɔː/ UK
- /ˈkɒntʊə/ UK
- /ˈkɑntɔɹ/ Canada, US
- /ˈkɑntʊɚ/ Canada, US
- /ˈkɑntʊɹ/ Canada, US
- /ˈkɔntʉːə/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈkɒntʉːə/ Australia, New Zealand
Sounds like kontor
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, equivalent to con- + tour.
noun contours
- An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape. the low drag contour of a modern automobile
-
A line on a map or chart delineating those points which have the same altitude or other plotted quantity: a contour line or isopleth; (metonymically) the landform or its surface.
Similar: contour line
- a speech sound which behaves as a single segment, but which makes an internal transition from one quality, place, or manner to another.
- A general description giving the most important points. Contours of a deal with conservative holdouts who had been blocking McCarthy’s rise had emerged the night before, and took hold after four dismal days and 14 failed votes in an intraparty standoff unseen in modern times.
verb contours · contouring · contoured
- To form a more or less curved boundary or border upon.
- To mark with contour lines.
- To practise the makeup technique of contouring. What is the French-preferred method to add dimension to the skin, if not to contour?
- To shape conditions regarding salient points. But the bill will exact a heavy cost — one that will complicate its prospects even if it passes the full House this week and will contour the political climate ahead of 2026 midterm elections.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: configuration, form, contour line, shape, outline, profile, profiling, perimeter, gauge, line, template, marker, boundary, edge, pattern, radiation
Translations
Every language
noun outline, boundary or border
| Español | contorno |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 輪郭 rinkaku |
| 中文 | 輪廓 /轮廓 lúnkuò |
| Português | contorno |
| Français | contour |
| Deutsch | Kontur |
| Italiano | contorno, profilo |
| Русский | ко́нтур kóntur, очерта́ние očertánije, а́брис ábris |
| Tiếng Việt | đường viền, đường nét |
noun line on a map or chart
| Français | ligne de niveau |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Höhenlinie, Höhenlinien, Isohypse, Niveaulinie, Höhenschichtlinie |
| Ελληνικά | ισοϋψής isoÿpsís |
| Русский | изоли́ния izolínija |
| Tiếng Việt | đường đồng mức |
verb Translations
| Español | contornear, contornar |
|---|
Talk about this word "contour." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/contour. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. contour. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/contour "contour." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/contour.Cite this
@misc{contour_2026,
title = {contour},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/contour},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
