1. (n.) A step, stair, or staircase.

2. (n.) 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.

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

4. (n.) Measure of advancement; quality; extent; as, tastes differ in kind as well as in degree.

5. (n.) Grade or rank to which scholars are admitted by a college or university, in recognition of their attainments; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.

6. (n.) 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.

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

8. (n.) 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.

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

11. (n.) A line or space of the staff.

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 grade 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 measure 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 rank 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 step by step subordination substantially sunrise sunset test third to a degree tone touchstone type unison interval value west westward whole step yardstick