subtraction

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}]
    

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.
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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.
      [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.
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   3. (Law) The withdrawing or withholding from a person of some
      right to which he is entitled by law.
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   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]
    

SUBTRACTION. The act of withholding or detaining anything unlawfully. 
    

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