noun
Meaning 1
An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- the low drag contour of a modern automobile
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
contour
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈkɒntɔː/ pour–poor merger
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/ˈkɒntʊə/ without the pour–poor merger
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/ˈkɑntɔɹ/ pour–poor merger
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/ˈkɑntʊɚ/ without the pour–poor merger
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/ˈkɑntʊɹ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈkɔntʉːə/
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Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈkɒntʉːə/
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homophone: kontor
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CMU ARPABET: K AA1 N T UH2 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contour line
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
a speech sound which behaves as a single segment, but which makes an internal transition from one quality, place, or manner to another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A general description giving the most important points.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To form a more or less curved boundary or border upon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To mark with contour lines.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To practise the makeup technique of contouring.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To shape conditions regarding salient points.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he could barely make out their shapes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shape, form, configuration, conformation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spatial property, spatiality
Narrower terms: sharpness, keenness, dullness, bluntness, topography, lobularity, concavity, concaveness, convexity, convexness, angularity, narrowing, curvature, curve, roundness, straightness, crookedness, stratification
noun
Meaning 10
a feature (or the order or arrangement of features) of anything having a complex structure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the contours of the melody
- it defines a major contour of this administration
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: feature, characteristic
noun
Meaning 11
a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contour line
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: isometric line, isometric
Narrower terms: thalweg
verb
Meaning 12
form the contours of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: delineate, limn, outline
Narrower terms: streamline
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, equivalent to con- + tour.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: очерта́ние (očertánie) — outline, boundary or border
- Bulgarian: конту́р (kontúr) — outline, boundary or border
- Chinese Mandarin: 輪廓 /轮廓 (lúnkuò) — outline, boundary or border
- Esperanto: konturo — outline, boundary or border
- Finnish: ääriviiva — outline, boundary or border
- French: contour — outline, boundary or border
- German: Kontur — outline, boundary or border
- Italian: contorno — outline, boundary or border
- Italian: profilo — outline, boundary or border
- Japanese: 輪郭 (rinkaku) — outline, boundary or border
- Lao: ໂສມ (sōm) — outline, boundary or border
- Macedonian: оцрт (ocrt) — outline, boundary or border
- Macedonian: контура (kontura) — outline, boundary or border
- Malay: kontur — outline, boundary or border
- Polish: kontur — outline, boundary or border
- Portuguese: contorno — outline, boundary or border
- Russian: ко́нтур (kóntur) — outline, boundary or border
- Russian: очерта́ние (očertánije) — outline, boundary or border
- Russian: а́брис (ábris) — outline, boundary or border
- Spanish: contorno — outline, boundary or border
- Ottoman Turkish: چوره (çevre) — outline, boundary or border
- Vietnamese: đường viền — outline, boundary or border
- Vietnamese: đường nét — outline, boundary or border
- Welsh: amlinell — outline, boundary or border
- Bulgarian: конту́р (kontúr) — line on a map or chart
- Finnish: korkeuskäyrä — line on a map or chart
- French: ligne de niveau — line on a map or chart
- German: Höhenlinie — line on a map or chart
- German: Höhenlinien — line on a map or chart
- German: Isohypse — line on a map or chart
- German: Niveaulinie — line on a map or chart
- German: Höhenschichtlinie — line on a map or chart
- Greek: ισοϋψής (isoÿpsís) — line on a map or chart
- Irish: comhrian — line on a map or chart
- Malay: garisan kontur — line on a map or chart
- Māori: hua — line on a map or chart
- Norwegian Bokmål: høydekurve — line on a map or chart
- Polish: izolinia — line on a map or chart
- Russian: изоли́ния (izolínija) — line on a map or chart
- Vietnamese: đường đồng mức — line on a map or chart
- Welsh: amlinell — line on a map or chart
- Spanish: contornear — Translations
- Spanish: contornar — Translations
Real reading context