degree
/dɪɡˈɹi/dih-GREE
/dɪɡˈɹi/dih-GREE
Meaninga step, a rank
Common meaning: a step
Other meanings: a rank
- dedown, away, fromSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 158 · scan
- greea step; to step, walkLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 821 · scan
‘down, away, from’ + ‘a step’ → degree
Journey through time
- de — Latin de- “down, away, from” (path traced)
- gree — Latin gradus; gradior, gressus “a step; to step, walk” (path traced)
Parts join in Old French as degre.
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Old French degre, which Skeat analyses as de- ‘down, away, from’ + gradus ‘a step; to step, walk’.
Roots
- degre Old French “a step, a rank”
- gradus; gradior, gressus Latin “a step; to step, walk”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app