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Meaning & use

recontour

verb·Advancedtechnical

Last updated

UK/ˌriːˈkɒntʊə/
US/ˌriːˈkɑːntʊr/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitivetechnical

    To shape or reshape the outline or surface of something, especially land, a body part, or a physical feature.

    Grammar: Takes an object: recontour the land. It is regular, so the past tense is 'recontoured'.

    Patterns

    • recontour something
    • recontour the land
    • recontour a surface

    Engineers recontoured the hillside before building the new road.

    The dentist recontoured the chipped tooth to match the others.

    Gardeners recontoured the lawn to improve drainage.

  2. verbtransitive

    To change the shape or outline of a person's body or face, especially through exercise, diet, or surgery.

    Grammar: Often used in beauty and fitness writing with body parts as the object.

    Patterns

    • recontour the body
    • recontour someone's face
    • recontour the jawline

    The clinic advertises treatments that recontour the jawline.

    Her training program is designed to recontour the waist and hips.

Word forms

third person singularrecontours
past tenserecontoured
past participlerecontoured
-ing formrecontouring

Common combinations

recontour the land
The council agreed to recontour the land to prevent flooding.
recontour the surface
Workers recontoured the surface of the track before the race.
recontour the jawline
Some patients choose surgery to recontour the jawline.
recontour a hillside
Heavy machinery was used to recontour the hillside.
recontour the face
The procedure is meant to recontour the face without leaving scars.

Synonyms and how they differ

reshape
The everyday word for changing a shape; 'recontour' is more technical and usually suggests changing an outline or surface.
remodel
Often used for buildings or structures and can suggest bigger changes than recontouring.
sculpt
Suggests shaping something artistically or gradually, not just adjusting its outline.

Word family

contour noun
The outline or shape of something, or a line on a map joining points of equal height.
contour verb
To give something a particular shape or outline.
recontouring noun
The act of shaping something again, often used for land or faces.

Commonly confused: recontour or contour? recontour or recount?

recontour vs contour

'Contour' means to shape something, while 'recontour' adds the idea of doing it again or changing an existing shape.

recontour vs recount

'Recount' means to tell a story or count again; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with shape.

Practice

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