ETYM French degré, Old Fren. degret, from Late Lat. degradare. Related to Degrade.
1. A measure for arcs and angles; SYN. arcdegree.
2. A position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality; SYN. grade, level.
3. A specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process; SYN. level, stage, point.
4. A unit of temperature on a specified scale.
5. The highest power of a term or variable.
6. The seriousness of something (e.g., a burn or crime).
An incremental value in the temperature scale, i.e., there are 100[s] between the ice point and the boiling point of water in the Celsius scale and 180[s]F between the same two points in the Fahrenheit scale.

In music, the position of a note in a scale. The first degree of C major is therefore C, the second is D, the third is E, and so on. Alternative terms for the seven degrees of a scale are, starting with the first degree: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading note.

In mathematics, a unit (symbol ş) of measurement of an angle or arc. A circle or complete rotation is divided into 360ş. A degree may be subdivided into 60 minutes (symbol ´), and each minute may be subdivided in turn into 60 seconds (symbol ˛). Temperature is also measured in degrees, which are divided on a decimal scale. See also Celsius, and Fahrenheit.
A degree of latitude is the length along a meridian such that the difference between its north and south ends subtend an angle of 1ş at the center of the Earth. A degree of longitude is the length between two meridians making an angle of 1ş at the center of the Earth.