degree

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime)

   murder in the second degree

2. 2
   noun

   an award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a course of study

   I earned my degree at Princeton summa cum laude.

3. 3
   noun

   a measure for arcs and angles

   there are 360 degrees in a circle

4. 4
   noun

   a unit of temperature on a specified scale

   the game was played in spite of the 40-degree temperature

5. 5
   noun

   a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process

   a remarkable degree of frankness

6. 6
   noun

   A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university/college, as a certification of academic achievement. (In the United States, can include secondary schools.)

   She has two bachelor's degrees and is studying towards a master's degree.

7. 7
   noun

   A unit of measurement of angle equal to ¹⁄₃₆₀ of a circle's circumference.

   A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.

8. 8
   noun

   A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit.

   212 degrees Fahrenheit is equal to 100 degrees Celsius.

Etymology

From Middle English degre, borrowed from Old French degré (French: degré), itself from Latin gradus, with the prefix de-.