degree

Universal Words noun 1 [C] a unit for measuring angles: an angle of ninety degrees (90ｰ) 2 [C] (abbreviation deg.) a unit for measuring temperature: Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (32ｰF) or zero / nought degrees Celsius (0ｰC). 3 [C,U] the amount or level of sth: Her job demands a high degree of skill. * I agree with you to a certain degree. * To what degree can parents be held responsible for a child's behaviour? * Most pop music is influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the blues. 4 [C] the qualification obtained by students who successfully complete a university or college course: My brother has a master's degree from Harvard. * She has a degree in Biochemistry from London University. * a four-year degree course 5 [C] (BrE) a university or college course, normally lasting three years or more: I'm hoping to do a chemistry degree. 6 [C] a level in a scale of how serious sth is: murder in the first degree (= of the most serious kind) * first-degree murder * third-degree (= very serious) burns IDIOMS by degrees slowly and gradually: By degrees their friendship grew into love. moreatNTH ______________________________ WHICHWORD? degree / certificate / diploma A degree is usually the qualification that you get by completing a course of study at a college or university: a bachelor's degree * I got my degree in 1987. In BrE it can also mean the course itself: She's doing a physics degree. Diploma and certificate are both words for official documents that show you have done or achieved something. Diploma is used for degrees and other courses of study but certificate can be more general: a High School diploma * a degree certificate * a certificate of attendance * a swimming certificate. In BrE the qualification or course of study can also be called a diploma or a certificate: a two-year diploma course * I'm studying for the First Certificate in English. ______________________________