Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Contour |
ContourNoun1. A line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height. 2. Any spatial attribute (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke". Verb1. Form the contours of. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "contour" was first used: 1662. (references) |
Etymology: Contour \Con*tour"\, noun. [French expression contour, from contourner to mark the outlines; con- tourner to turn. See Turn.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Geography | Line indicating the same height or depth. Source: European Union. (references) |
| In meteorology, a line of constant height of a constant-pressure surface. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Geological | Imaginary line on the ground, all points of which are at the same elevation above or below a specified datum. (references) |
Mining | A. An imaginary line, or a line on a map or chart, that connects points of equal value, e.g., elevation of the land surface above or below some reference value or datum plane, generally sea level. Contours are commonly used to depict topographic or structural surfaces; they can also readily show the laterally variable properties of sediments or any other phenomenon that can be quantified. CF:structure contour Syn:contour line b. The outline or configuration of a surface feature seen two-dimensionally, e.g., the contour of a mountain pass or a coastline c. A line drawn through points of equal elevation on any surface. It is the intersection of a horizontal plane with the surface d. A line or a surface at all points of which a certain quantity, otherwise variable, has the same value (as lines of equal elevation on the ground or isothermal surfaces in a heat-conducting solid) e.g., elevation of the land surface above or below some reference value or datum plane, generally sea level. Contours are commonly used to depict topographic or structural surfaces; they can also readily show the laterally variable properties of sediments or any other phenomenon that can be quantified. CF:structure contour Syn:contour line b. The outline or configuration of a surface feature seen two-dimensionally, e.g., the contour of a mountain pass or a coastline. (references) |
Transportation | Line representing the outline of a figure. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) Discovery class mission has as its primary objective close fly-bys of two comet nuclei with the possibility of a fly-by of a third known comet or an as-yet-undiscovered comet. The two comets to be visited are Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann-3, and the third target is d'Arrest. It is hoped that a new comet will be discovered that will be in the inner solar system between 2006 and 2008, in which case the spacecraft trajectory will be changed if possible to rendezvous with the new comet. Scientific objectives include imaging the nuclei at resolutions of 4 m, performing spectral mapping of the nuclei at resolutions of 100-200 m, and obtaining detailed compositional data on gas and dust in the near-nucleus environment, with the goal of improving our knowledge of the characteristics of comet nuclei.
Spacecraft design
The CONTOUR spacecraft has a total fueled mass of 775 kg, including a Star 27 SRM booster with a mass of 377 kg and 70 kg of hydrazine fuel. Power is provided by a body-mounted solar array designed for operation at distances between 0.75 and 1.5 AU from the Sun. It is three-axis stabilized for encounters and spin-stabilized during cruise mode between encounters. Communications are through a fixed 0.45 m diameter high-gain antenna which will support data rates greater than 100 kbit/sec at encounters. Data and images are stored on two 3.3 Gbit solid-state recorders with a capacity of 600 images. The spacecraft is equipped with four primary science instruments, the Contour Remote Imager/Spectrograph (CRISP), the Contour Aft Imager (CAI), the Dust Analyzer (CIDA), and the Neutral Gas Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS).
Mission
CONTOUR launched on a Delta 7325 (a Delta II Lite launch vehicle with three strap-on solid-rocket boosters and a Star 27 third stage) on July 3, 2002 at 6:47:41 UT (2:47:41 a.m. EDT) into a high-apogee Earth orbit with a period of 5.5 days from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Following a series of phasing orbits, the Star 27 solid rocket motor will be used to perform an injection maneuver on August 15, 2002 to put CONTOUR in the proper trajectory for an Earth fly-by in August 2003 followed by an encounter with comet Encke on 12 November 2003 at a distance of 100 to 160 km and a fly-by speed of 28.2 km/sec, 1.07 AU from the Sun and 0.27 AU from Earth. Three more Earth fly-bys follow, in August 2004, February 2005, and February 2006. On 18 June 2006 CONTOUR encounters comet Schwassmann-Wachmann-3 at 14 km/sec, 0.95 AU from the Sun and 0.33 AU from Earth. Two more Earth fly-bys are scheduled in February of 2007 and 2008, and a fly-by of comet d'Arrest may occur on 16 August 2008 at a relative velocity of 11.8 km/sec, 1.35 AU from the Sun and 0.36 AU from Earth. All fly-bys will have a closest encounter distance of about 100 km and will occur near the period of maximum activity for each comet. After the comet Encke encounter, CONTOUR may be retargeted towards a new comet if one is discovered with the desired characteristics (e.g. active, brighter than absolute magnitude 10, perihelion within 1.5 AU).
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "CONTOUR."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
CONTOUR | English | Comet Nucleus Tour | Transportation |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: ContourSynonyms: configuration (n), contour line (n), form (n), shape (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Form | Form, figure, shape; conformation, configuration; make, formation, frame, construction, cut, set, build, trim, cut of one's jib; stamp, type, cast, mold; fashion; contour; (outline); structure; plasmature. |
Outline | Noun: outline, circumference; perimeter, periphery, ambit, circuit, lines tournure, contour, profile, silhouette; bounds; coast line. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Contour |
| English words defined with "contour": Contorniate, contour map ♦ Hypoptilum ♦ relief map ♦ streamline ♦ To do the handsome thing, Topographical surveying, Tournure. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "contour": accented contour ♦ contour ditch irrigation, Contour farming, CONTOUR GRINDER, contour level, contour race, contour stitcher, Contour Strip Farming ♦ depression contour ♦ form contour ♦ index contour, index contour line, intermediate contour line ♦ structural contour map, structure contour, subsurface contour. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Contour" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. French (contour, outline, shape). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Your fine, broad forehead now has four creases above each eyebrow And this fine contour from the ear to the chin it's no longer quite so evident (Viskningar och rop; writing credit: Ingmar Bergman) | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Contour Connection (1983) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Contour map of Gulf of Mexico as sounded by the BLAKE Used Sigsbee Sounding Machine to take over 3,000 soundings in a year First realistic bathymetric map of any ocean basin. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Hillside contour strawberry farming in Monterey County, CA. Credit: Lynn Betts. |
 | Aerial view of contour buffer strips on highly erodible cropland in Winneshiek County in northeast Iowa. Strips of green alfalfa help curb erosion by providing breaks from the more erodible corn fields. Credit: Tim McCabe. |  | Grass helps protect this western Iowa cropland with practices including contour buffer strips, field borders, grassed waterways, and grass on terraces. Credit: Lynn Betts. |
 | Grassed contour buffer strips cover an entire field in Tama County, Iowa. Credit: Lynn Betts. |  | Farmers spray rasberriey bushes planted on the contour on a farm near Danville, Ohio. Credit: Unknown. |
 | Orbin Oglesby and Sidney Lanier inspecting terraces and contour farming on vidalia onions. Georgia. Credit: Jeff Vanuga. |  | Conservation practices such as contour rows and field borders help protect the land from soil erosion and provide excellent wildlife habitat. Credit: Dot Paul. |
 | Magaly Rodriguez (right), NRCS, Soil Conservation Tech. from the Yellow River Soil and water Conservation District explains the survey marks to John Lundy (left) prior to the construction of a terraced field. Lundy used a contour plow to build the terrace. Credit: USDA. |  | Field of corn planted on contour. Credit: USDA. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | Hence, for the responsible chief, the necessity of examining the smallest tuft of trees and appreciating the slightest details of contour. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Computer simulation produces an accurate image of the tumor and surrounding organs so that multiple radiation beams can be shaped exactly to the contour of the treatment area. Because the radiation beams are precisely focused, nearby normal tissue is spared. (references) | |
Economic History | Spain | There is an increasing demand specially for products related to composites materials: contour tape laying heads for composite tape laying machines, fiber placement systems with computer numerical control, etc. (references) |
Trade | India | Import on Export Basis: New or second hand jigs, fixtures, dies (including contour roller dies), moulds (including moulds for die-casting), patterns, press tools and lasts, construction machinery, containers/ packages meant for packing of goods for export and other equipment, can be imported for export without a license by furnishing a Legal Undertaking/Bank Guarantee with the Customs Authorities. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Contour" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 87.92% of the time. "Contour" is used about 149 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 87.92% | 131 | 27,855 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 5.37% | 8 | 124,375 |
| Noun (proper) | 4.7% | 7 | 133,076 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 2.01% | 3 | 202,518 |
| Total | 100.00% | 149 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Country | Name |
| USA | Contour Energy Co. |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "contour": bathymetric contour ♦ contour chart ♦ contour detection ♦ contour ditch irrigation ♦ contour feather ♦ Contour feathers ♦ contour fighter ♦ contour follower ♦ contour interval ♦ contour language ♦ contour level ♦ contour line ♦ contour map ♦ Contour of ground ♦ contour planting ♦ contour plowing ♦ contour search ♦ contour sheet ♦ depth contour ♦ dose rate contour line ♦ equal noise contour ♦ index contour line ♦ intermediate contour line ♦ loudness contour ♦ noise contour ♦ pitch contour ♦ planting in contour rows ♦ structural contour map. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "contour": contour-band, contour-couch, contour-designed, contour-girdle, contour-line. | |
Ending with "contour": Bio-contour, depth-contour. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "contour"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | vijë niveli, ndërtoj sipas relievit, konturoj (outline), kontur (line, outline, periphery, ring). (various references) | |
Arabic | كفافي, محيط شكل, الكفاف, الخط كفافي, رسم كفاف شىء, شق طريقا حول كفاف هضبة. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | скица (cure, delineation, design, diagram, draft, draught, freehand drawing, object, outline, plan, plat, plot, schema, scheme, scream, skeleton, sketch, study, vignette), контура, очертавам (adumbrate, define, delineate, line, mark out, outline, sketch, trace out), очертание (adumbration, conformation, cutout, delineation, form, line, lineament, outline, shape, silhouette), профил (cross section, cutout, profile, section, shape, side, side face, side view, silhouette), правя контури. (various references) | |
Chinese | 等高. (various references) | |
Czech | obrys (outline, silhouette), kontura (outline). (various references) | |
Danish | isohypse (isohypse), hoejdekurve (contour line), højdelinie (across the slope, contour line), højdekurve (isohypse), dybdekurve (contour line). (various references) | |
Dutch | omtrek (circumference, environment, environs, outline, outskirts, perimeter, periphery, surroundings). (various references) | |
Esperanto | konturo (outline). (various references) | |
Faeroese | umhvarv (outline, silhouette). (various references) | |
Farsi | محیطمرءی (Silhouette), نقاشی کردن (Brush, Crayon, Paint, Picture), نقشه برجسته , طراحی کردن , خطفاصل درنقشه های رنگی . (various references) | |
Finnish | syvyyskäyrä (contour line), painepinnan korkeuskäyrä, korkeuskäyrä (contour line, isohypse), isohypsi, ääriviiva (outline). (various references) | |
French | contour (loudness control). (various references) | |
German | umriss (adumbration, contoured, outline, profile), Umriß (contoured, outline), kontur (outline). (various references) | |
Greek | περίγραμμα (ambit, circumscription, outline, template). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מתאר (descriptive, outline, profile), קו טור, קו 'וב". (various references) | |
Hungarian | körvonal (circle, configuration, line, outline, profile, silhouette), kontúr (outline), körvonalak. (various references) | |
Indonesian | penggarisbawahan (emphasizing, underlining, underscoring), kontur, garis luar. (various references) | |
Italian | contorno (boundary, edge, fixing, garnish, outline, side dish). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 等高線 , 外郭 (outer block, outer wall, outline), 外" (outer block, outer wall, outline). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | がいかく (crust, external angle, outer block, outer wall, outline, outside corner, overseas guest or customer, shell), とう"うせ". (various references) | |
Korean | 윤곽 . (various references) | |
Manx | ym-linney (circumference, perimeter, profile), asslin cummey. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ontourcay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | contorno (cutout, dide view, girth, lay, lineament, outline, profile, shape). (various references) | |
Romanian | contura (appear, define, delineate, outline, skeletonize, sketch), contur (figuration, line, outline, perimeter, profile, set), schiţã (adumbration, delineation, design, draft, draught, drawing, line, outline, plan, plot, shorter, sketch, sketching). (various references) | |
Russian | контур (circuit, cutout, keyline, outline, path, sidebar), горизонталь (horizontal), очерчивать контур, очертание (configuration, cutout, fashion, figure, form, outline, profile, shape, skyline), абрис (outline), профиль (cross section, cutout, elevation, profile, shape, side view, side-view). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | obris (outline), kontura (definition, outline). (various references) | |
Spanish | contorno (figuration, outline, profile, skyline). (various references) | |
Swedish | kontur (outline, skyline). (various references) | |
Turkish | hatlarını belirlemek, eşyükselti eğrisi ile göstermek, eşyükselti eğrisi, dış hatlar, biçimini oluşturmak, şekil (face, figure, form, image, modality, morpho-, mould, semblance, shape, turn, wise), çevre (adjacencies, ambiance, ambience, ambient, ambit, atmosphere, circle, circumference, climate, compass, domain, ecological, entourage, environment, environmental, girth, milieu, neighborhood, neighbourhood, perimeter, periphery, precinct, precincts, premises, purlieus, radius, region, society, sphere, surroundings, vicinity). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | контур (outline, periphery, profile), окреслення (circumscription, delineation, description), наносити контур. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | tình trạng (estate, fettle), tình huống, diễn biến của sự việc, đường viền. (various references) | |
Welsh | amlinell (outline). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | lineamentum. (various references) |
| Medieval Latin | 700-1500 | contornare. (various references) |
| French | 1500-Modern | contour. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "contour": contoured, contouring, contours. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "contour": recontour. (additional references) | |
Words containing "contour": recontoured, recontouring, recontours. (additional references) | |
| |
"Contour" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Cantore, carnotaur, Centore, ceonothus, Cindoruk, conbour, concour, consour, conter, contio, conto, contor, contory, Contoux, contu, contuor, conture, Coonoor, Cotner, coutour, Cronmore, Hontoir, Kantorei, Kontur. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: cornuto, crouton. | |
| Words within the letters "c-n-o-o-r-t-u" | |
-1 letter: croton, unroot. | |
-2 letters: conto, cornu, count, court, croon. | |
-3 letters: coon, coot, corn, curn, curt, onto, root, roto, rout, runt, toon, torc, torn, toro, tour, turn, unco, unto. | |
-4 letters: con, coo, cor, cot, cur, cut, noo, nor, not, nut, oot, orc, ort, our, out, roc, rot, run, rut, ton, too, tor, tun, urn. | |
-5 letters: no, nu. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-n-o-o-r-t-u" | |
+1 letter: contours, cornutos, couranto, croutons, outscorn. | |
+2 letters: conductor, consultor, contoured, courantos, downcourt, outscorns, overcount, recontour. | |
+3 letters: conductors, consortium, consultors, contouring, corruption, counterion, countertop, courantoes, frontcourt, inoculator, moonstruck, neurotoxic, noncountry, outcrowing, outrocking, outscoring, outscorned, overcounts, production, recontours, undoctored. | |
+4 letters: aponeurotic, coauthoring, conjuration, consortiums, constructor, consummator, continuator, contrarious, contributor, conurbation, corrugation, corruptions, coruscation, coterminous, counterblow, countercoup, counterflow, counterfoil, counterions, countermemo, countermove, counterplot, counterploy, counterpose, countershot, countertops, frontcourts, inoculators, monoculture, mucoprotein, neurotropic, noncomputer, noncustomer, obscuration, obstruction, outcropping, outcrossing, outscorning, outsourcing, overcaution, overcounted, pococurante, procuration, productions, prosecution, recontoured. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Usage Frequency 11. Names: Company Usage 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Translations: Ancient 16. Abbreviations | 17. Acronyms 18. Derivations 19. Anagrams 20. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
