noun
degree
dih-GREE
noun
1
An academic qualification awarded by a college or university on completion of a course of study.
"She earned a degree in biology before going to medical school."
2
A unit for measuring angles or temperature.
"Turn the wheel ninety degrees to the left."
"It reached thirty degrees Celsius yesterday."
3
The extent or level to which something is present.
"He showed a surprising degree of patience with the new hire."
How to Use Degree
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA qualification from higher education, a unit for measuring angles/temperature, or simply a level or extent of something.
Common pairings
university degree
to some degree
a degree of risk
thirty degrees
Word Forms
degrees plural
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She earned a _____ in biology before going to medical school.
Etymology
From Old French degré, from Latin gradus ("step"), with the prefix dē- added — literally "a step down or along."