Contour

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Contour \Con*tour"\, n. [F. contour, fr. contourner to mark the
     outlines; con- + tourner to turn. See {Turn}.]
     1. The outline of a figure or body, or the line or lines
        representing such an outline; the line that bounds;
        periphery.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              Titian's coloring and contours.       --A. Drummond.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Mil.) The outline of a horizontal section of the ground,
        or of works of fortification.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Contour feathers} (Zool.), those feathers that form the
        general covering of a bird.
  
     {Contour of ground} (Surv.), the outline of the surface of
        ground with respect to its undulation, etc.
  
     {Contour line} (Topographical Suv.), the line in which a
        horizontal plane intersects a portion of ground, or the
        corresponding line in a map or chart.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  contour
       n 1: a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height
            [syn: {contour line}]
       2: any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline);
          "he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke"
          [syn: {shape}, {form}, {configuration}, {conformation}]
       3: 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"
       v : form the contours of

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  23 Moby Thesaurus words for "contour":
     broad lines, configuration, delineate, delineation, features,
     figuration, figure, framework, galbe, gestalt, limn, line,
     lineaments, lineation, lines, main features, outline, profile,
     relief, shapes, silhouette, skeleton, tournure