contour
/ˈkɒntʊər/
noun
Origin
Italian
contornare — to draw in outline, surround
Overview
Meaning Now
- An outline representing or bounding the shape or form of something.
- A line on a map joining points of equal height above or below sea level.
Literal older meaning
outline
Language path
Latin → Italian → French → English
Earliest form
contour
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the 17th century, primarily through art and architectural treatises where it referred to the silhouette or outer edge of a drawn figure. Its usage expanded significantly in the 19th century to represent topographic elevations on cartographic maps.
Evolution
- Latin
contornare
“to trace round”
- Italian
contorno
“outline, circuit”
- French
contour
“outline, shape”
Introduced into French in the 16th century.
- English
contour
“the outline of a figure or surface”
First recorded in English around 1640.
Connections
Word parts
con-
prefix
together
tornare
root
to turn, round
Related across languages
French
outline, shape
Italian
contorno
outline; side dish (culinary)
Explore next
Related to contour
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.