Dictionary.net

an award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a course of study; "he earned his degree at Princeton summa cum laude"

a measure for arcs and angles; "there are 360 degrees in a circle"

the seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime); "murder in the second degree"; "a second degree burn"

the highest power of a term or variable

a unit of temperature on a specified scale; "the game was played in spite of the 40-degree temperature"

an award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a course of study; "he earned his degree at Princeton summa cum laude"

a measure for arcs and angles; "there are 360 degrees in a circle"

the seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime); "murder in the second degree"; "a second degree burn"

the highest power of a term or variable

a unit of temperature on a specified scale; "the game was played in spite of the 40-degree temperature"

A step, stair, or staircase.

One of a series of progressive steps upward or downward, in quality, rank, acquirement, and the like; a stage in progression; grade; gradation; as, degrees of vice and virtue; to advance by slow degrees; degree of comparison.

The point or step of progression to which a person has arrived; rank or station in life; position.

Measure of advancement; quality; extent; as, tastes differ in kind as well as in degree.

Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.

A certain distance or remove in the line of descent, determining the proximity of blood; one remove in the chain of relationship; as, a relation in the third or fourth degree.

Three figures taken together in numeration; thus, 140 is one degree, 222,140 two degrees.

State as indicated by sum of exponents; more particularly, the degree of a term is indicated by the sum of the exponents of its literal factors; thus, a2b3c is a term of the sixth degree. The degree of a power, or radical, is denoted by its index, that of an equation by the greatest sum of the exponents of the unknown quantities in any term; thus, ax4 + bx2 = c, and mx2y2 + nyx = p, are both equations of the fourth degree.

A 360th part of the circumference of a circle, which part is taken as the principal unit of measure for arcs and angles. The degree is divided into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds.

A line or space of the staff.

A step, stair, or staircase.

One of a series of progressive steps upward or downward, in quality, rank, acquirement, and the like; a stage in progression; grade; gradation; as, degrees of vice and virtue; to advance by slow degrees; degree of comparison.

The point or step of progression to which a person has arrived; rank or station in life; position.

Measure of advancement; quality; extent; as, tastes differ in kind as well as in degree.

Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.

A certain distance or remove in the line of descent, determining the proximity of blood; one remove in the chain of relationship; as, a relation in the third or fourth degree.

Three figures taken together in numeration; thus, 140 is one degree, 222,140 two degrees.

State as indicated by sum of exponents; more particularly, the degree of a term is indicated by the sum of the exponents of its literal factors; thus, a2b3c is a term of the sixth degree. The degree of a power, or radical, is denoted by its index, that of an equation by the greatest sum of the exponents of the unknown quantities in any term; thus, ax4 + bx2 = c, and mx2y2 + nyx = p, are both equations of the fourth degree.

A 360th part of the circumference of a circle, which part is taken as the principal unit of measure for arcs and angles. The degree is divided into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds.

A line or space of the staff.

A step or grade; rank or station in life; a stage in progress; a remove in relationship; academical rank conferred by an institution; as, a doctor's degree; one of three grades in the comparison of an adjective or adverb; a relative amount, extent, quality, etc.; the 360th part of the circumference of a circle; sixty geographical miles; a unit for measuring heat, cold, etc.

1. A rank conferred by colleges and universities in recognition of the completion of a certain course of study or as a mark of honor. The most common medical degrees are Chirurgiae Magister (C.M.), master in surgery; Medicinae Bachelor (M.B.), bachelor of medicine; Medicinae Doctor (M.D.), doctor of medicine. 2. One of the divisions on the scale of a thermometer, barometer, etc.

Step; position; rank; extent; 360th part of a circle.

One of a series of steps; grade; rank; station; amount; intensity.

One of the three forms in which an adjective or an adverb is compared; as, the positive, comparative, and superlative degrees.

A step or grade in progression, in elevation, quality, dignity, or rank; relative position or rank; a certain distance or remove in the line of descent determining the proximity of blood; measure; extent; the 360th part of the circumference of a circle; a division, space, or interval marked on a mathematical or other instrument; a term applied to equations to denote the highest power of the unknown quantity; a mark of distinction conferred by universities after examination, or in honour. Honorary degrees, those of doctor of divinity, doctor of laws, &c. By degrees, step by step; gradually. To a degree, exceedingly. See Degrade.

A portion of space taken as a unit of measure, as a degree of latitude; the 360th part of the circumference of a circle; a division on a mathematical or other instrument; a stage in progression; rank or station in society; relationship in blood; measure or extent; an interval of sound; rank or title conferred by a university: by degrees, step by step; gradually.

from degre, originally from gradua, 'a step.' A title conferred by a college, -as the 'degree of Doctor of Medicine.' Galen used this expression to indicate the qualities of certain drugs. Both he and his school admitted cold, warm, moist, and dry medicines, and four different 'degrees' of each of those qualities. Thus, Apium was warm in the first degree, Agrimony in the second, Roche Alum in the third, and Garlic in the fourth. Bedegar was cold in the first, the flower of the Pomegranate in the second, the Sempervivum in the third, Opium in the fourth, &c. The French use the term degre to indicate, 1. The intensity of an affection: as a burn of the first, second, third degree, &c. 2. The particular stage of an incurable disease, as the third degree of phthisis, cancer of the stomach, &c.

One of the equal parts into which a circle or a scale, as of a thermometer, is divided

n. [French] A step; an advance in space or time; a step upward or downward, in quality, rank, acquirement, and the like;—point to which a person has arrived; position; station; measure of advancement; extent;—grade or rank to which students or professional men are admitted in recognition of their attainments by a college or university;—a certain distance or remove in the line of descent determining the proximity of blood;—a 360th part of the circumference of a circle;—a space, or interval, marked as on a thermometer or barometer;—difference in elevation between two musical notes.

Quality, rank, station; the state and condition in which a thing is; a step or preparation to any thing; order of lineage, descent of family; measure, proportion; in geometry, the three hundred and sixtieth part of the circumference of a circle; in musick, the intervals of sounds.