n., adj., adv., & v.
n. 1 a a matter, theme, etc. to be discussed, described, represented, dealt with, etc. b (foll. by for) a person, circumstance, etc., giving rise to specified feeling, action, etc. (a subject for congratulation). 2 a department or field of study (his best subject is geography). 3 Gram. a noun or its equivalent about which a sentence is predicated and with which the verb agrees. 4 a any person except a monarch living under a monarchy or any other form of government (the ruler and his subjects). b any person owing obedience to another. 5 Philos. a a thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, esp. as opposed to anything external to the mind. b the central substance or core of a thing as opposed to its attributes. 6 Mus. a theme of a fugue or sonata; a leading phrase or motif. 7 a person of specified mental or physical tendencies (a hysterical subject). 8 Logic the part of a proposition about which a statement is made. 9 (in full subject for dissection) a dead body.
adj. 1 (often foll. by to) owing obedience to a government, colonizing power, force, etc.; in subjection. 2 (foll. by to) liable, exposed, or prone to (is subject to infection). 3 (foll. by to) conditional upon; on the assumption of (the arrangement is subject to your approval).
adv. (foll. by to) conditionally upon (subject to your consent, I propose to try again).
v.tr. 1 (foll. by to) make liable; expose; treat (subjected us to hours of waiting). 2 (usu. foll. by to) subdue (a nation, person, etc.) to one's sway etc. on the subject of concerning, about. subject and object Psychol. the ego or self and the non-ego; consciousness and that of which it is or may be conscious. subject catalogue a catalogue, esp. in a library, arranged according to the subjects treated. subject-heading a heading in an index collecting references to a subject. subject-matter the matter treated of in a book, lawsuit, etc. subjection n. subjectless adj.
[ ME soget etc. f. OF suget etc. f. L subjectus past part. of subjicere (as SUB-, jacere throw) ]