degree
/dɪˈɡɹiː/ noun, proper noun
Forms degrees
- noun (education) A completed curriculum of study in tertiary education. “She has two bachelor's degrees and is studying towards a master's degree.”
- noun (geometry) A unit of measurement of angle equal to ¹⁄₃₆₀ of a circle's circumference. “A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.”
- noun (physics) A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit. “212 degrees Fahrenheit is equal to 100 degrees Celsius.”
- noun (algebra) The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial. “A quadratic polynomial is a polynomial of degree 2.”
- noun (algebra, field theory) The dimensionality of a field extension. “The set of complex numbers constitutes a field extension of degree 2 over the real numbers.”
- noun (graph theory) The number of edges that a vertex takes part in; a valency.
- noun (logic) The number of logical connectives in a formula.
- noun (surveying) The curvature of a circular arc, expressed as the angle subtended by a fixed length of arc or chord.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
° arcdegree compass grade level magnitude scale stage point academic degree
Etymology
From Middle English degre, borrowed from Old French degré (French: degré), itself from Latin gradus, with the prefix de-.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A step, stair, or staircase. [Obs.]
- noun One of a series of progressive steps upward or downward, in quality, rank, acquirement, and the like; a stage in progression; grade; gradation; as, degrees of vice and virtue; to advance by slow degrees; degree of comparison.
Etymology [F. degré, OF. degret, fr. LL. degradare. See Degrade.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “degree”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details