degree

ot noun

1. A stage of proficiency or qualification in a course of study, now especially an award bestowed by a university or, in some countries, a college, as a certification of academic achievement. (In the United States, can include secondary schools.) She has two bachelor's degrees and is studying towards a master's degree.
2. A unit of measurement of angle equal to 1/360 of a circle's circumference. A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.
3. A unit of measurement of temperature on any of several scales, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit. 180 degrees Fahrenheit is equivalent to 100 degrees Celsius.
4. The sum of the exponents of a term; the order of a polynomial. A quadratic polynomial is a polynomial of degree 2.