ETYM Old Eng. teme, Old Fren. teme, French thčme, Latin thema, Greek, from stellein to set, place. Related to Do, Thesis.
1. A unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work; SYN. motif.
2. Melodic subject of a musical composition; SYN. melodic theme, musical theme, idea.
In music, a basic melody or musical figure, which often occurs with variations.

1. A set of visual elements that provide a unified look for your computer desktop. A theme determines the look of the various graphic elements of your desktop, such as the windows, icons, fonts, colors, and the background and screen saver pictures. It can also define sounds associated with events, such as opening or closing a program.
2. A set of coordinated graphic elements applied to a document or Web page, or across all pages in a Web site. Themes can consist of designs and color schemes for fonts, link bars, and other page elements.