[a. F. contour, f. contourner (cf. F. tour, tourner, and TURN), in artistic sense = It. contorno: see CONTORNO.]
1. The outline of any figure: a. introduced as a term of Painting and Sculpture; spec. the line separating the differently colored parts of a design.
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr., Wks. v. (1805), 315. Penning the contours and outlines with a more even and acute touch.
1686. Aglionby, Painting Illustr., Expl. Terms, The Contours of a Body, are the Lines that environ it, and make the Superficies of it.
1697. Evelyn, Numism., vi. 201. A perfect Medal has … its Contours neatly trimm’d … and carefully preserved.
1706. Phillips, s.v., In painting and carving, contours are the outward lines of a picture or figure.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 152. To draw the contour both of the plan and elevation.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., iii. The whole contour of her form … resembled that of Minerva.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, vi. § 13. 175. The shadows are employed only to make the contours of the features thoroughly felt.
1879. Rood, Chromatics, xviii. 312. Contours consisting of several lines of gold and silver, white and black, are often used to separate colours that do not harmonize particularly well together.
b. Perfection or artistic quality of outline.
1780. Johnson, Lett. Mrs. Thrale, 1 May. The exhibition is eminently splendid, There is contour, and keeping, and grace, and expression.
1844. G. P. R. James, Agincourt, I. 27. That sort of full and graceful sweep in all the lines, which painters and statuaries, I believe call contour.
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., III. i. § 75 (1864), 453. The sculptor must have a keen sense of contour and form.
c. gen.; especially frequent as applied to the outline of a coast, mountain mass, or other topographical feature.
1769. Phil. Trans., LIX. 498. The symbols have passed from a contour sufficiently regular, to some lines oddly assembled.
1791. Newte, Tour Eng. & Scot., 211. Their streets, or lanes, are crowded and narrow, and their general contour is irregular.
1802. Playfair, Illustr. Hutton. Th., 101. Its broken and abrupt contour … determined by the action of the sea.
1867–77. G. F. Chambers, Astron., II. ii. 190. In 1848 Arago saw the dark contour of the Moon.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 16. The undulating line indicates the general contour of the surface of the country.
† 2. Conchol. ‘The spiral that forms the shell, and winds round its columella or axis.’ Obs.
1755. Gentl. Mag., XXV. 31.
† 3. A ‘round’ (of amusements, or the like). Obs.
1784. Denouement, 36. Fidgeting about from one demure employment to another forms the whole contour of my sprightly amusements.
4. Comb. Contour-feathers, -hairs, the feathers or hairs that form the surface and contour of an animal, as distinguished from those that lie closer to the skin and do not appear on the surface. Contour line, a line representing the horizontal contour of the earth’s surface at a given elevation. The contour line of a mountain at a given height represents the edge of a horizontal plane cutting the mountain at that height. A series of such lines at successive elevations laid down on a map shows the elevations and depressions of the surface. A map in which this is done is a Contour map.
1844. Ansted, Geol., II. 238. The laying down on the maps a system of what are called contour-lines; by which is meant lines of equal altitude above a certain standard level.
1861. Times, 7 Oct. An accurate map of his fields … with contour lines of level by which road-making, drain excavation, etc., may be laid out.
1862. R. H. Patterson, Ess. Hist. & Art, 122. Look at the Contour map of Europe in Johnston’s Physical Atlas.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 14. Where the ground is very steep the contour-lines run close together.
