[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
   1913 webster

         compound substances are made up of two or more simple
         substances.                              --i. watts.
   1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
compound compound addition subtraction multiplication division compound crystal 
compound engine compound ether ether compound flower compound fraction 
fraction compound fracture fracture compound householder compound interest 
interest compound larceny larceny compound leaf compound microscope 
microscope compound motion motion compound number denominate number 
compound pier compound quantity compound radical radical compound ratio 
compound rest compound screw compound time compound word 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

subtraction \subtrac"tion\, n. l. subtractio a drawing back.
   see subtract, and cf. substraction.
   1. the act or operation of subtracting or taking away a part.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   3. law the withdrawing or withholding from a person of some
      right to which he is entitled by law.
      1913 webster

   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.
         1913 webster
see also:
subtract substraction 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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: minus
     2: the act of subtracting removing a part from the whole; "he
        complained about the subtraction of money from their
        paychecks" syn: deduction ant: addition
see also:
minus deduction addition 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

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

[5] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

subtraction. the act of withholding or detaining anything unlawfully. 

Subtraction >> S Words
Subtraction, definition of term: Subtraction
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