to mold or shape so as to fit a certain form: The airplane seats were carefully contoured for maximum comfort.
adj.[before a noun]
shaped to fit a particular form: contour sheets for a mattress.
Agricultureof or relating to a system of plowing and cultivating hilly land along the natural contours of the slopes to prevent the runoff of water and soil erosion.
the outline of a figure or body; the edge or line that defines or bounds a shape or object.
Geography, SurveyingSee contour line.
Phoneticsa distinctive pattern of changes in pitch, stress, or tone extending across all or part of an utterance, esp. across a sentence, and contributing to meaning.
v.t.
to mark with contour lines.
to make or form the contour or outline of.
Civil Engineeringto build (a road, railroad track, etc.) in conformity with the contour of the land.
to mold or shape so as to fit a certain configuration:cars with seats that are contoured for comfort.
adj.
molded or shaped to fit a particular contour or form:contour seats.
[Agric.]of or used in a system of plowing, cultivating, sowing, etc., along the contour lines of the land in order to trap water runoff and prevent erosion.
French, equivalent. to con-con- + tour a turn (see tour), modeled on Italian contorno, derivative of contornare to outline; see turn