/ dɪˈgriː; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] a unit for measuring angles :
an angle of ninety degrees (90°)
2.
[ C ] ( abbr. deg. ) a unit for measuring temperature :
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (32°F) or zero / nought degrees Celsius (0°C).
3.
[ C , U ] the amount or level of sth :
Her job demands a high degree of skill.
I agree with you to a certain degree .
To what degree can parents be held responsible for a child's behaviour?
Most pop music is influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the blues.
4.
[ C ] the qualification obtained by students who successfully complete a university or college course :
My brother has a master's degree from Harvard.
She has a degree in Biochemistry from London University.
a four-year degree course
5.
[ C ] ( BrE ) a university or college course, normally lasting three years or more :
I'm hoping to do a chemistry degree.
6.
[ C ] a level in a scale of how serious sth is :
murder in the first degree (= of the most serious kind)
first-degree murder
third-degree (= very serious) burns
•
IDIOMS
- by degrees
—more at nth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the senses step , tier , rank , or relative state ): from Old French , based on Latin de- down + gradus step or grade.