Definitions for degree
dɪˈgride·gree

Princeton's WordNet(2.87 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. degree, grade, levelnoun

   a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

   "a moderate grade of intelligence"; "a high level of care is required"; "it is all a matter of degree"

2. degree, level, stage, pointnoun

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

   "a remarkable degree of frankness"; "at what stage are the social sciences?"

3. academic degree, degreenoun

   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"

4. degree, arcdegreenoun

   a measure for arcs and angles

   "there are 360 degrees in a circle"

5. degreenoun

   the highest power of a term or variable

6. degreenoun

   a unit of temperature on a specified scale

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

7. degreenoun

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

   "murder in the second degree"; "a second degree burn"

GCIDE(3.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Degreenoun

   Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; also, (informal) the diploma provided by an educational institution attesting to the achievement of that rank; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.; to hang one's degrees on the office wall.

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. degreenoun

   A step on a set of stairs; the rung of a ladder.

2. degreenoun

   An individual step, or stage, in any process or scale of values.

3. degreenoun

   A stage of rank or privilege; social standing.

4. degreenoun

   A 'step' in genealogical descent.

5. degreenoun

   One's relative state or experience; way, manner.

6. degreenoun

   The amount that an entity possesses a certain property; relative intensity, extent.

   To what degree do the two accounts of the accident concur?

7. degreenoun

   A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university or, in some countries, a 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.

8. degreenoun

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

9. degreenoun

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

10. degreenoun

    The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial.

11. degreenoun

    The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.

12. degreenoun

    The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.

13. Etymology: From degre (French: degré)

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. DEGREEnoun

   Etymology: degré, French, from gradus, Latin.

   1. Quality; rank; station; place of dignity.

   Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Ps. lxii. 9.

   It was my fortune, common to that age,
   To love a lady fair, of great degree,
   The which was born of noble parentage,
   And set in highest seat of dignity. Fairy Queen, b. ii. cant. 4.

   I embrace willingly the ancient received course and conveniency of that discipline, which teacheth inferior degrees and orders in the church of God. Richard Hooker, Dedication.

   Well then, Coleville is your name; a knight is your degree, and your place the dale. William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. ii.

   Degree being vizarded,
   Th’ unworthiest shews as fairly in the mask. William Shakespeare.

   This noble youth to madness lov’d a dame
   Of high degree, Honoria was her name. Dryden.

   Farmers in degree,
   He a good husband, a good housewife she. Dryden.

   But is no rank, no station, no degree,
   From this contagious taint of sorrow free? Matthew Prior.

   2. The state and condition in which a thing is.

   The book of wisdom noteth degrees of idolatry, making that of worshipping petty and vile idols more gross than simply the worshipping of the creature. Francis Bacon, Holy War.

   3. A step or preparation to any thing.

   Her first degree was by setting forth her beauties, truly in nature not to be misliked, but as much advanced to the eye as abased to the judgment by art. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

   Which sight the knowledge of myself might bring,
   Which to true wisdom is the first degree. Davies.

   4. Order of lineage; descent of family.

   King Latinus, in the third degree,
   Had Saturn author of his family. John Dryden, Æn. b. vii. l. 72.

   5. The orders or classes of the angels.

   The several degrees of angels may probably have larger views, and be endowed with capacities able to set before them, as in one picture, all their past knowledge at once. John Locke.

   6. Measure; proportion.

   If you come to separate them, and that all the parts are equally heard as loud as one another, they will stun you to that degree, that you would fancy your ears were torn in pieces. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.

   Poesy
   Admits of no degrees; but must be still
   Sublimely good, or despicably ill. Wentworth Dillon.

   7. [In geometry.] The three hundred and sixtieth part of the circumference of a circle. The space of one degree in the heavens is accounted to answer to sixty miles.

   In minds and manners, twins oppos’d we see;
   In the same sign, almost the same degree. John Dryden, Pers. Sat.

   To you who live in chill degree,
   As map informs, of fifty-three. John Dryden, Epistles.

   8. [In arithmetick.]A degree consists of three figures, viz. of three places comprehending units, tens and hundreds; so three hundred and sixty-five is a degree. Edward Cocker Arithmetick.9. The division of the lines upon several sorts of mathematical instruments.10. [In musick.]The intervals of sounds, which are usually marked by little lines. Dict.11. [In physick and chymistry.] The vehemence or slackness of the hot or cold quality of a plant, mineral, or other mixt body.

   The second, third, and fourth degrees of heat are more easily introduced than the first: every one is both a preparative and a step to the next. Robert South, Sermons.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Degreenoun

   a step, stair, or staircase

2. Degreenoun

   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

3. Degreenoun

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

4. Degreenoun

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

5. Degreenoun

   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

6. Degreenoun

   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

7. Degreenoun

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

8. Degreenoun

   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

9. Degreenoun

   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

10. Degreenoun

    a division, space, or interval, marked on a mathematical or other instrument, as on a thermometer

11. Degreenoun

    a line or space of the staff

12. Etymology: [F. degr, OF. degret, fr. LL. degradare. See Degrade.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Degree

   A degree, usually denoted by °, is a measurement of plane angle, representing ¹⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians. It is not an SI unit, as the SI unit for angles is radian, but it is mentioned in the SI brochure as an accepted unit.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Degree

   de-grē′, n. a grade or step: one of a series of advances: relative position: rank: extent: a mark of distinction conferred by universities, whether earned by examination or granted as a mark of honour: the 360th part of a circle: 60 geographical miles: nearness of relationship: comparative amount of guilt: one of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb.—By degrees, by little and little, gradually; Forbidden degrees, the degrees of consanguinity and affinity within which it is not permitted to marry; Songs of degrees, or Songs of ascents, Psalms cxx.-cxxxiv., either because sung by the Jews returning from captivity, or by the Jews coming up annually to attend the feasts at Jerusalem; To a degree, to a great degree, to an extreme. [Fr. degré—L. de, gradus, a step.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. degree

   A degree of longitude is the 1-360th part of the great equatorial circle, or any circle parallel to it. A degree of latitude is the 90th part of the quadrant, or quarter of a great meridional circle. Each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds, according to the sexagesimal division of the circle. Also, rank or condition.

Suggested Resources(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. degree

   Song lyrics by degree -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by degree on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Angular Unit
   • Award
   • Exponent
   • Magnitude
   • Property
   • State
   • Temperature Unit

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'degree' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #992

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'degree' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1582

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'degree' in Nouns Frequency: #327

How to pronounce degree?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say degree in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of degree in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of degree in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of degree in a Sentence

1. Paul de Man:

   The writer's language is to some degree the product of his own action; he is both the historian and the agent of his own language.

2. Kyle Thiem:

   These different types of wintry precipitation are very sensitive to small changes, a change of just a degree or two can mean the difference from relatively harmless rainfall to very impactful ice and snow accumulations.

3. Mitch McConnell:

   I think it can best be described as the 'Biden bait and switch,' president Biden ran as a moderate, but I'm hard-pressed to think of anything at all that he's done — so far — that would indicate some degree of moderation.

4. Buenos Aires-based:

   This a country with a quite unstable macroeconomy, with a high degree of taxes that are imposed on the capital that comes to invest.

5. Barack Obama:

   It also just indicates the degree to which whatever ideology they're operating off of, it's bankrupt.

Popularity rank by frequency of use