Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Theme \Theme\, n. [OE. teme, OF. teme, F. th[`e]me, L. thema,
   Gr. ?, fr. ? to set, place. See {Do}, and cf. {Thesis}.]
   1. A subject or topic on which a person writes or speaks; a
      proposition for discussion or argument; a text.

            My theme is alway one and ever was.   --Chaucer.

            And when a soldier was the theme, my name Was not
            far off.                              --Shak.

   2. Discourse on a certain subject.

            Then ran repentance and rehearsed his theme. --Piers
                                                  Plowman.

            It was the subject of my theme.       --Shak.

   3. A composition or essay required of a pupil. --Locke.

   4. (Gram.) 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. That by means of which a thing is done; means; instrument.
      [Obs.] --Swift.

   6. (Mus.) The leading subject of a composition or a movement.

Source : WordNet®

theme
     v : provide with a particular theme or motive; "the restaurant
         often themes its menus"

theme
     n 1: the subject matter of a conversation or discussion; "he
          didn't want to discuss that subject"; "it was a very
          sensitive topic"; "his letters were always on the theme
          of love" [syn: {subject}, {topic}]
     2: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or
        artistic work; "it was the usual `boy gets girl' theme"
        [syn: {motif}]
     3: (music) melodic subject of a musical composition; "the theme
        is announced in the first measures"; "the accompanist
        picked up the idea and elaborated it" [syn: {melodic theme},
         {musical theme}, {idea}]
     4: an essay (especially one written as an assignment); "he got
        an A on his composition" [syn: {composition}, {paper}, {report}]
     5: (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are
        removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" [syn: {root},
         {root word}, {base}, {stem}, {radical}]