the.com/contour
the invisible line where one thing surrenders to become another.
means The outline or shape of something, especially the curving edge that defines its form or surface.
from From French contour, meaning the outline of a figure, drawn from Italian contorno — 'to go around' — built on Latin con- ('together') plus tornare, 'to turn on a lathe.' At its root is the tornus, the lathe itself, so a contour is literally the line traced by turning, the shape a thing takes as it's rounded into being.
- map magic
- Closer lines mean steeper ground, instantly readable terrain
- makeup myth
- Shadows faked on faces to sculpt absent bone
- never crosses
- Two elevation lines touching would mean a cliff overhang
- sound shaped
- Pitch contour carries meaning beyond the words spoken
- feather origin
- Birds wear contour feathers to streamline flight
for instance
contour plowing — farming technique following hillside curves to reduce soil erosion, widely used in appalachia and southeast us
contour feathers on birds — outer layer feathers that shape a bird's body, distinct from down feathers, seen on all species