noun
contour
KON-taw
noun
1
The outline or shape of something, especially a curved edge.
"The dress was cut to follow the contours of her body."
"Rain had smoothed the contours of the old stone steps."
2
A line on a map joining points of equal height.
"Closely spaced contour lines on the map showed a steep hillside."
verb
1
To shape something to follow a particular outline, or to apply makeup to sculpt the appearance of the face.
"She contoured her cheekbones with a shimmery bronze powder."
How to Use Contour
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe outer shape or edge of something, or shaping something to follow that outline.
Common pairings
body contours
contour lines
contour a face
Word Forms
contoured past tense, contours plural, contours singular
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The dress was cut to follow the _____ of her body.
Etymology
Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, built from con- plus tour ("turn").