theme

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

   It was the usual love story theme.

2. 2
   noun

   (music) melodic subject of a musical composition

   the theme is announced in the first measures

3. 3
   verb

   provide with a particular theme or motive

   the restaurant often themes its menus

4. 4
   noun

   A subject, now especially of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic.

   "Had not you once a beautiful daughter, named Mary?" said the stranger. "It is a heartrending question, man," said Andrew; "but certes, I had once a beloved daughter named Mary." "What became of her?" asked the stranger. Andrew shook his head, turned round, and began to move away; it was a theme that his heart could not brook.

5. 5
   noun

   A recurring idea; a motif.

   variations on the theme of entrepreneurial resourcefulness

6. 6
   noun

   An essay written for school.

   Father Dolan came in today and pandied me because I was not writing my theme.

7. 7
   verb

   To give a theme to.

   We themed the birthday party around superheroes.

8. 8
   noun

   (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

Etymology

From Middle English teme, from Old French teme, tesme (French thème), from Latin thema, from Ancient Greek θέμα (théma), from τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”), reduplicative from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, do”) (whence also English do). Doublet of thema.