9 definitions found for subtraction

Subtraction SUBTRAC'TION, n. [L. subtractio.] The act or operation of taking a part from the rest.
1. In arithmetic, the taking of a lesser number from a greater of the same kind or denomination; an operation by which is found the difference between two sums.

subtraction n 1: an arithmetic operation in which the difference between two numbers is calculated; "the subtraction of three from four leaves one"; "four minus three equals one" [syn: subtraction, minus] 2: the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole); "he complained about the subtraction of money from their paychecks" [syn: subtraction, deduction] [ant: addition]

subtraction - cobnuc

subtraction c.1400, from L.L. subtractionem (nom. subtractio) "a drawing back, taking away," from pp. stem of subtrahere "take away, draw off," from sub "from under" + trahere "to pull, draw."

subtraction noun Etymology: Middle English subtraccion, from Anglo-French sustraction, subtraction, from Late Latin subtraction-, subtractio, from Latin subtrahere Date: 15th century an act, operation, or instance of subtracting: as a. the withdrawing or withholding of a right to which an individual is entitled b. the operation of deducting one number from another

Subtraction Sub*trac"tion, n. [L. subtractio a drawing back. See Subtract, and cf. Substraction.] 1. The act or operation of subtracting or taking away a part. 2. (Math.) The taking of a lesser number or quantity from a greater of the same kind or denomination; an operation for finding the difference between two numbers or quantities. 3. (Law) The withdrawing or withholding from a person of some right to which he is entitled by law. Note: Thus the subtraction of conjugal rights is when either the husband or wife withdraws from the other and lives separate without sufficient reason. The subtraction of a legacy is the withholding or detailing of it from the legatee by the executor. In like manner, the withholding of any service, rent, duty, or custom, is a subtraction, for which the law gives a remedy. --Blackstone.

Compound Com"pound, a. [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See Compound, v. t.] Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts; produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or things; composite; as, a compound word. Compound substances are made up of two or more simple substances. --I. Watts. Compound addition, subtraction, multiplication, division (Arith.), the addition, subtraction, etc., of compound numbers. Compound crystal (Crystallog.), a twin crystal, or one seeming to be made up of two or more crystals combined according to regular laws of composition. Compound engine (Mech.), a form of steam engine in which the steam that has been used in a high-pressure cylinder is made to do further service in a larger low-pressure cylinder, sometimes in several larger cylinders, successively. Compound ether. (Chem.) See under Ether. Compound flower (Bot.), a flower head resembling a single flower, but really composed of several florets inclosed in a common calyxlike involucre, as the sunflower or dandelion. Compound fraction. (Math.) See Fraction. Compound fracture. See Fracture. Compound householder, a householder who compounds or arranges with his landlord that his rates shall be included in his rents. [Eng.] Compound interest. See Interest. Compound larceny. (Law) See Larceny. Compound leaf (Bot.), a leaf having two or more separate blades or leaflets on a common leafstalk. Compound microscope. See Microscope. Compound motion. See Motion. Compound number (Math.), one constructed according to a varying scale of denomination; as, 3 cwt., 1 qr., 5 lb.; -- called also denominate number. Compound pier (Arch.), a clustered column. Compound quantity (Alg.), a quantity composed of two or more simple quantities or terms, connected by the sign + (plus) or - (minus). Thus, a + b - c, and bb - b, are compound quantities. Compound radical. (Chem.) See Radical. Compound ratio (Math.), the product of two or more ratios; thus ab:cd is a ratio compounded of the simple ratios a:c and b:d. Compound rest (Mech.), the tool carriage of an engine lathe. Compound screw (Mech.), a screw having on the same axis two or more screws with different pitch (a differential screw), or running in different directions (a right and left screw). Compound time (Mus.), that in which two or more simple measures are combined in one; as, 6-8 time is the joining of two measures of 3-8 time. Compound word, a word composed of two or more words; specifically, two or more words joined together by a hyphen.

subtraction n. Deduction.

88 Moby Thesaurus words for "subtraction": abatement, abridgment, absence, abstraction, addition, alienation, alleviation, approximation, attenuation, awayness, blank, contraction, dampening, damping, decrease, decrement, decrescence, deduction, deflation, depreciation, depression, deprivation, detachment, differentiation, diminishment, diminution, disarticulation, disassociation, disconnectedness, disconnection, discontinuity, discount, disengagement, disjointing, disjunction, dislocation, disunion, division, divorce, divorcement, dying, dying off, equation, evolution, extenuation, extrapolation, fade-out, incoherence, integration, interpolation, inversion, involution, isolation, lack, languishment, lessening, letup, lowering, luxation, miniaturization, mitigation, multiplication, neverness, nonexistence, nonoccurrence, nonpresence, notation, nowhereness, parting, partition, practice, proportion, rebate, reduction, relaxation, removal, sagging, scaling down, segmentation, separation, separatism, simplicity, subdivision, transformation, want, weakening, withdrawal, zoning