Meaning & use
contours
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“contours” is a form of “contour”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
The outlines or curved shapes of something, such as a face, a body, a coastline or a landscape.
Grammar: Plural of contour; often followed by of: the contours of the hills.
Patterns
- the contours of something
She traced the contours of his face in her sketchbook.
The road follows the contours of the hillside.
Soft light showed the contours of the sculpture.
nounpluraltechnicalspecialist
Lines on a map that join points of equal height above sea level, showing how steep the land is.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase contour lines.
Patterns
- contours on a map
The contours on the map were tightly packed, so the slope was steep.
Hikers read the contours to find the easiest route up.
Geographers draw contours at intervals of ten meters.
nounpluralfigurative
The general shape or main features of an idea, plan or situation, without all the details.
Grammar: Figurative; usually the contours of something.
Patterns
- the contours of something
The report outlines the broad contours of the new policy.
They are still shaping the contours of the deal.
The contours of the debate changed after the election.
Word forms
| singular | contour |
|---|
Common combinations
- the contours of the landscape
- Snow softened the contours of the landscape.
- contour lines
- Contour lines closer together show a steeper slope.
- follow the contours
- The wall follows the contours of the valley.
- soft contours
- The vase has soft contours that fit the hand.
- broad contours
- The plan has only broad contours so far.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outline
- Outline is the line around the edge of a shape, while contours often suggests curves and surface shape.
- profile
- Profile usually means a side view of something, whereas contours can describe the whole shape.
- curves
- Curves refers only to rounded parts, while contours covers the overall shape including angles.
- features
- Features means notable parts of something, while contours stresses shape and form.
Word family
- contour noun
- one outline or shape line
- contour verb
- to shape something so it follows a particular outline
- contoured adjective
- shaped to follow curves
- contouring noun
- using makeup to shape the look of the face
Commonly confused: contours or counters?
contours vs counters
Counters are flat work surfaces or objects used for counting; contours are outlines or shapes.
Practice
On a hiking map, lines drawn very close together show that the ___ are steep.
Choose one answer.
Contours are the lines joining equal heights on a map, and close lines mean steep ground. The other words do not describe map lines.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “contours”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.