third degree

¹ American  

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.

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third-degree ² American  

[thurd-di-gree] / ˈθɜrd dɪˈgri /

verb (used with object)

third-degreed, third-degreeing

1. to subject to the third degree.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the third degree.

third degree British  

noun

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

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third degree Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of third degree¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Origin of third-degree¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Freemasons wear symbolic aprons and progress through degrees of membership, with the phrase "giving someone the third degree" originating from its final stage of initiation.

From BBC

Heart blocks are graded as first, second or third degree, depending on severity.

From BBC

An Aurora police officer was convicted of homicide and third degree assault earlier this year, while two officers were acquitted.

From Seattle Times

Jurors acquitted Majors of intentional assault in the third degree and second-degree aggravated harassment.

From Los Angeles Times

The Marvel actor was found not guilty on one count of intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.

From Salon