subtract - definition, synonyms and pronunciation

Open English WordNet

Verb (2)subtracted, subtracting

make a subtraction“subtract this amount from my paycheck”Synonyms: deduct take offMore general calculate, cipherMore specific carry back
take off or away“this prefix was subtracted when the word was borrowed from French”More general reduce, cut down

Word of the day · Oct 11About this word

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Sub·tract′ transitive verb [past tense & past participle Subtracted; present participle & verbal noun Subtracting.]

Origin: L. subtractus, p. p. of subtrahere to draw from beneath, withdraw, remove; sub under + trahere to draw. See Trace, transitive verb, and cf. Substract.

To withdraw, or take away, as a part from the whole; to deduct; as, subtract 5 from 9, and the remainder is 4.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54