Webster's English Dictionary

degree

de.gree \di-'gre-\ n [ME, fr. OF degre`, fr. (assumed) VL degradus, fr. L 
   de- + (Xgradus obs  1a: STEP, STAIR  archaic  1b: a member of a series 
   arranged in steps  2: a step or stage in a process, course, or 
   classificatory order  3: a measure of damage to tissue caused by disease or 
   other force  4a: the extent, measure, or scope of an action, condition, or 
   relation  4b: relative intensity  4c: one of the forms or sets of forms 
   used in the comparison of an adjectiv e or adverb 4d: a legal measure of 
   guilt or negligence  5a: a rank or grade of official, ecclesiastical, or 
   social position  archaic  5b: a particular standing esp. as to dignity or 
   worth  5c: the civil condition or status of a person  6: a step in a direct 
   line of descent or in the line of ascent to a common  ancestor 7a: a grade 
   of membership attained in a ritualistic order or society  7b: the formal 
   ceremonies observed in the conferral of such a distinction  7c: a title 
   conferred upon students by a college, university, or profession al school 
   upon completion of a unified program of study 7d: an academic title 
   conferred honorarily  archaic  8: a position or space on the earth or in 
   the heavens as measured by degree s of latitude 9: one of the divisions or 
   intervals marked on a scale of a measuring instr ument 10: a 360th part of 
   the circumference of a circle  11a: the sum of the exponents of the 
   variable factors of a monomial  11b: the sum of the exponents of the 
   variable factors of the term of highes t degree in a polynomial 12a: a line 
   or space of the musical staff  12b: a step, note, or tone of a musical 
   scale  1: to a remarkable extent  2: in a small way  - to a degree