Collins English-English Dictionary

theme [θiːm]

1. 1. n an idea or topic expanded in a discourse, discussion, etc

2. 2. n (in literature, music, art, etc) a unifying idea, image, or motif, repeated or developed throughout a work

3. 3. n [music] a group of notes forming a recognizable melodic unit, often used as the basis of the musical material in a composition

4. 4. n a short essay, esp one set as an exercise for a student

5. 5. n [linguistics] the first major constituent of a sentence, usually but not necessarily the subject. In the sentence history I do like, ``history'' is the theme of the sentence, even though it is the object of the verb

6. 6. n another word for root

7. 7. n [grammar] (in the Byzantine Empire) a territorial unit consisting of several provinces under a military commander

8. 8. n [modifier] planned or designed round one unifying subject, image, etc

   a theme holiday

9. 9. vt. [tr] to design, decorate, arrange, etc, in accordance with a theme

10. 10. vt. [Etymology] C13: from Latin thema, from Greek: deposit, from tithenai to lay down