Degree Definition

degree

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĭgrē'
• IPA: /dɪ'gri/
• SAMPA: /dI"gri/

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Etymology

From Old French degre (French: degré)

Noun

degree (plural degrees)

1. (obsolete except heraldry) A step on a set of stairs; the rung of a ladder. [from 13th c.]
2. An individual step, or stage, in any process or scale of values. [from 13th c.]
3. A stage of rank or privilege; social standing. [from 13th c.]

   Enviously, I watched him dancing with ladies of high degree.

4. (genealogy) A ‘step’ in genealogical descent. [from 14th c.]
5. (now rare) One's relative state or experience; way, manner. [from 14th c.]
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:

     If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

6. The amount that an entity possesses a certain property; relative intensity, extent. [from 14th c.]

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

7. 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.) [from 14th c.]
8. (geometry) A unit of measurement of angle equal to 1/360 of a circle's circumference. [from 14th c.]
9. (physics) A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit. [from 18th c.]
10. (mathematics) The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial. [from 18th c.]
11. (graph theory) The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.
12. (surveying) The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.

Derived terms

• degree Celsius
• degree centigrade
• degree days
• degree Fahrenheit
• academic degree

Related terms

• scale

Usage notes

• A person who is engaged in a course of study leading to the earning of a degree can be described (in the present progressive tense) as "doing a degree" in British English, and as "getting a degree" in American English. For example, in American English, "She is currently getting her master's degree at State University." In British English, "I am still confused about when to use 'an' instead of 'a'. Is it an hour or a hour, and if someone is doing a master's degree in arts, is it an MA or a MA?" (Ask Oxford.Com - Ask the Experts - Frequently Asked Questions (Grammar)).

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See Also:

• British Undergraduate Degree Classification
• Degree In Criminal
• Degrees of Freedom (Mechanics)
• Electrical Degree Consultancy Exp Req
• Mathematics Degree