Degree

Definition of Degree

De`gree´

By ladders, or else by degree.

- Rom. of R.

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.

The point or step of progression to which a person has arrived; rank or station in life; position.

Measure of advancement; quality; extent; as, tastes differ in kind as well as in degree.

The degree of excellence which proclaims genius, is different in different times and different places.

- Sir. J. Reynolds.

Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; also, (informal) the diploma provided by an educational institution attesting to the achievement of that rank; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.; to hang one's degrees on the office wall.

The youth attained his bachelor's degree, and left the university.

- Macaulay.

(Genealogy) A certain distance or remove in the line of descent, determining the proximity of blood; one remove in the chain of relationship; as, a relation in the third or fourth degree.

In the 11th century an opinion began to gain ground in Italy, that third cousins might marry, being in the seventh degree according to the civil law.

- Hallam.

(Arith.) Three figures taken together in numeration; thus, 140 is one degree, 222,140 two degrees.

(Algebra) State as indicated by sum of exponents; more particularly, the degree of a term is indicated by the sum of the exponents of its literal factors; thus, a2b3c is a term of the sixth degree. The degree of a power, or radical, is denoted by its index, that of an equation by the greatest sum of the exponents of the unknown quantities in any term; thus, ax4 + bx2 = c, and mx2y2 + nyx = p, are both equations of the fourth degree.

(Trig.) A 360th part of the circumference of a circle, which part is taken as the principal unit of measure for arcs and angles. The degree is divided into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds.

10.

(Mus.) A division, space, or interval, marked on a mathematical or other instrument, as on a thermometer.

Accumulation of degrees
(Eng. Univ.) See under Accumulation.

By degrees
step by step; by little and little; by moderate advances.

Degree of a curve
(Geom.) the number which expresses the degree of the equation of the curve or surface in rectilinear coördinates. A straight line will, in general, meet the curve or surface in a number of points equal to the degree of the curve or surface and no more. - Shak.

Degree of latitude
(Geog.) on the earth, the distance on a meridian between two parallels of latitude whose latitudes differ from each other by one degree. This distance is not the same on different parts of a meridian, on account of the flattened figure of the earth, being 68.702 statute miles at the equator, and 69.396 at the poles.

Degree of longitude
the distance on a parallel of latitude between two meridians that make an angle of one degree with each other at the poles - a distance which varies as the cosine of the latitude, being at the equator 69.16 statute miles.

To a degree
to an extreme; exceedingly; as, mendacious to a degree.

It has been said that Scotsmen . . . are . . . grave to a degree on occasions when races more favored by nature are gladsome to excess.

- Prof. Wilson.

Related Words

AA, AB, AM, Associate of Arts, BS, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity, Bachelor of Science, DD, DDS, Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Music, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Theology, JD, LLD, LittD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MLS, MS, Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, Master of Science, PhD, SB, SM, STD, ScD, ThD, baccalaureate, baccalaureus, bachelor, bar, bar line, barometer, bit by bit, brace, by degrees, canon, cardinal points, caste, check, class, compass card, compass rose, condition, consecutive intervals, considerably, continuity, criterion, decidedly, degrees, diapason, diatessaron, diatonic interval, diatonic semitone, dimension, doctor, doctorate, east, eastward, enharmonic diesis, enharmonic interval, estate, exceedingly, extent, fifth, fourth, gauge, gradation, gradually, graduated scale, half points, half step, halftone, hierarchy, highly, inch by inch, inchmeal, interval, ledger line, lengths, less semitone, level, limit, line, little by little, lubber line, magnitude, master, melodic interval, model, norm, north, northeast, northward, northwest, notch, note, occident, octave, order, orient, parallel octaves, parameter, pattern, place, point, position, proportion, quantity, quarter points, quite, rate, rather, ratio, reading, readout, rhumb, rule, rung, scale, second, semitone, sequence, serial order, seventh, situation, sixth, size, slowly, somewhat, south, southeast, southward, southwest, space, staff, stage, standard, standing, station, status, stave, step by step, subordination, substantially, sunrise, sunset, test, third, to a degree, tone, touchstone, type, unison interval, value, west, westward, whole step, yardstick

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Degerm
Degerminator
Deglaze
Deglazing
Degloried
Deglutinate
Deglutination
Deglutition
Deglutitious
Deglutitory
Degradation
Degradation of energy
Degrade
Degraded
Degradement
degrading
degradingly
Degras
Degravation
Degrease
-Degree-
Degree of a curve
Degree of latitude
Degree of longitude
degreed
degressive
Degu
Degum
Degust
Degustation
Dehisce
Dehiscence
Dehiscent
Dehonestate
Dehonestation
Dehorn
Dehors
Dehort
Dehortation
Dehortative
Dehortatory

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