Shaped or molded to follow the natural curves or outline of something. Having smooth, flowing lines that fit a particular form.
From French 'contour' meaning 'outline', from Italian 'contorno', from Latin 'con-' (together) + 'tornare' (to turn). The concept of contouring entered English in the 17th century from artistic terminology describing outlines and edges.
Modern makeup contouring is actually an ancient art - Egyptian pharaohs used kohl and ochre to create the illusion of perfect bone structure thousands of years ago. The word has expanded far beyond art into everything from ergonomic furniture design to topographic mapping, showing how one concept can reshape multiple fields.
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