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theme

(thēm)

1. A topic of discourse or discussion. See Synonyms at subject.

2. A subject of artistic representation.

3. An implicit or recurrent idea; a motif: a party with a tropical island theme.

4. A short composition assigned to a student as a writing exercise.

5. Music A recurring melodic element in a composition, especially a melody forming the basis of a set of variations.

6. Linguistics

a. See topic.

b. A stem.

[Middle English teme, theme, from Old French tesme, from Latin thema, from Greek; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

themeless adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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