Main Entry:

¹con·tour

Pronunciation:

\ˈkän-ˌtu̇r\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French, from Italian contorno, from contornare to round off, from Medieval Latin, to turn around, from Latin com- + tornare to turn on a lathe — more at turn

Date:

1662

1: an outline especially of a curving or irregular figure : shape ; also : the line representing this outline2: the general form or structure of something : characteristic —often used in plural <contours of a melody><to delineate the tortured psychological contours of the tribal past — B. J. Phillips>3: a usually meaningful change in intonation in speech

synonyms see outline