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degree

[ dih-gree ]
/ dɪˈgri /
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See synonyms for: degree / degrees on Thesaurus.com

noun
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Idioms about degree

    by degrees, by easy stages; gradually: She grew angrier by degrees.
    to a degree,
    1. to a considerable extent; exceedingly.
    2. to a small extent; somewhat: He is to a degree difficult to get along with.

Origin of degree

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English degre, from Anglo-French, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin dēgradus; see de-, grade

OTHER WORDS FROM degree

de·greed, adjectivede·gree·less, adjectivepre·de·gree, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH degree

certificate, degree , diploma, license
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use degree in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for degree

degree
/ (dɪˈɡriː) /

noun

Derived forms of degree

degreeless, adjective

Word Origin for degree

C13: from Old French degre, from Latin de- + gradus step, grade
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for degree

degree
[ dĭ-grē ]

A unit division of a temperature scale.
  1. A unit for measuring an angle or an arc of a circle. One degree is 1360 of the circumference of a circle.
  2. This unit used to measure latitude or longitude on the Earth's surface.
The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation. For example, x3 + 2xy + x is of the third degree.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for degree

degree

In geometry, a unit of measurement of angles, 1/360 of a circle. In physics, a unit of temperature (see Celsius, Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit), and Kelvin scale). A degree on the Fahrenheit scale is smaller than a degree on the Celsius or Kelvin scale. Degrees on the Celsius and Kelvin scales are the same size.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with degree

degree

see by degrees; third degree; to some degree; to the nth degree.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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