third degree

¹

noun

1. intensive questioning or rough treatment, especially by the police, in order to get information or a confession.
2. the degree of master mason in Freemasonry.

third-degree

²

[ thurd-di-gree ]

verb (used with object)

, third-de·greed, third-de·gree·ing.

1. to subject to the third degree.

adjective

1. of or relating to the third degree.

third degree

noun

1. informal.
   torture or bullying, esp used to extort confessions or information

Word History and Origins

Origin of third degree¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Origin of third degree²

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Idioms and Phrases

Intensive questioning or rough treatment used to obtain information or a confession, as in The detectives gave her the third degree , or Jim gave her the third degree when she came home so late . This term comes from freemasonry, where a candidate receives the third or highest degree, that of master mason, upon passing an intensive test. Dating from the 1770s, the phrase was transferred to other kinds of interrogation in the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

Bigamy, or having multiple active marriage licenses, is a third-degree felony in Utah.

From The Daily Beast

It's a third-degree felony to tape someone without their permission in Florida.

From The Daily Beast

Last week Florida brought third-degree felony hazing charges against 11 people, mostly students, in the death of Champion.

From The Daily Beast

Tarnopolski was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct—an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

From The Daily Beast

As a teenager, a magnesium flare exploded and left 70 percent of his body covered in third-degree burns.

From The Daily Beast

I had one terrible time in third-degree stuff and have put him away for the night.

From Project Gutenberg

And that's the only reason why the so-called third-degree inquisitions are to be tolerated.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence it is that we are all meaters, perforce, but not all of us are third-degree-removed cannibals.

From Project Gutenberg