What does 'dominion' and 'subdue it' mean?

Genesis 1:26 and 28
Tell us that we have dominion over the earth and animals and that we are to subdue them. I think the power of life and death is the ultimate step in subjection. Is there any influence beside the earth-worshipping religions which would cause us to believe that these verses do not provide for the killing of animals?

If you have a fern, and it is yours (not mine) you can poison it with arsenic so that it whithers and dies and I could not care less. If I have a deer, I can kill it and you should not care either.

Nimrud was a mighty hunter. I am a not-so mighty hunter. You don't have to hunt. You probably shouldn't hunt.

 

In the OT Hebrew, the word translated "dominion" is "radah". Contextually, it means to rule over, take control of, and have responsibility over. The word translated "subdue" is "kabash", which is similar to "radah", but it referrs to the spreading out over.

 

Conquer it. Whatever piece of dirt you ended up owning...rule it.