'sharply-contoured' originates from the combination of 'sharp' and 'contour', where 'sharp' meant 'having a fine edge or point' and 'contour' meant 'the outline of a figure or body'.

'sharp' and 'contour' were combined in modern English to form the adjective 'sharply-contoured'.

Initially, 'sharp' and 'contour' were used separately to describe distinct features, but together they evolved to describe something with clear and defined outlines.