theme

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A topic of discourse or discussion. See Synonyms at subject.
2. n. A subject of artistic representation.
3. n. An implicit or recurrent idea; a motif: a theme of powerlessness that runs through the diary; a party with a tropical island theme.
4. n. A short composition assigned to a student as a writing exercise.
5. n. Music The principal melodic phrase in a composition, especially a melody forming the basis of a set of variations.
6. n. Linguistics A stem.
7. n. Linguistics See topic.
8. v. Usage Problem To provide with a particular topic or motif. See Usage Note at themed.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In astrology, a figure of nativity.
2. n. A subject or topic on which a person writes or speaks; anything proposed as a subject of discourse or discussion.
3. n. That which is said or thought on a given topic.
4. n. Question; subject; matter.
5. n. A short dissertation composed by a student on a given subject; a brief essay; a school composition; a thesis.
6. n. In philology, the part of a noun or verb to which inflectional endings are added; stem; base.
7. n. In music, same as subject. The term is sometimes extended to a short melody from which a set of variations is developed.
8. n. That by which a thing is done; an instrument; a means.
9. n. A division for the purpose of provincial administration under the Byzantine empire. There were twenty-nine themes, twelve in Europe and seventeen in Asia. Also thema.
10. n. In logic, same as thema, 3. Synonyms Topic, Point, etc. (see subject), text.

Wiktionary

1. n. a subject of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic.
2. n. a recurring idea; a motif.
3. n. the main melody of a piece of music, especially one that is the source of variations.
4. n. The collection of color schemes, sounds, artwork etc, that "skin" an environment towards a particular motif.
5. n. stem of a word
6. n. thematic relation of a noun phrase to a verb
7. n. theta role in generative grammar and government and binding theory.
8. n. topic, what is being talked about, as opposed to rheme
9. n. A regional unit of organisation in the Byzantine empire.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A subject or topic on which a person writes or speaks; a proposition for discussion or argument; a text.
2. n. Discourse on a certain subject.
3. n. A composition or essay required of a pupil.
4. n. A noun or verb, not modified by inflections; also, that part of a noun or verb which remains unchanged (except by euphonic variations) in declension or conjugation; stem.
5. n. That by means of which a thing is done; means; instrument.
6. n. The leading subject of a composition or a movement.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
2. n. an essay (especially one written as an assignment)
3. n. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
4. n. (music) melodic subject of a musical composition
5. n. a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work
6. v. provide with a particular theme or motive