A Degree Is a Step
A degree is a unit of measurement or an academic award. The Latin root means a step down a staircase.
A degree is a unit of angle or temperature, an academic qualification, or an extent. All of them are steps: Latin *degradus* means a step down, from *gradus*, a step. Temperature rises by steps, an angle is divided into steps, and a degree course is a step up a ladder of learning. *Gradual* and *graduate* come from the same staircase.
- A unit of angle or temperature. *Thirty degrees.*
- An academic award. *A degree in physics.*
- An extent. *A degree of certainty.*
- A level of severity. *Third-degree burns.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | degree | A first-class degree. |
| Plural | degrees | Ten degrees. |
| Related | gradual | Gradual change. |
| Related | graduate | A recent graduate. |
| Related | gradient | A steep gradient. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.At standard pressure.
- A circle has 360 degrees.A Babylonian inheritance.
- To some degree, yes.Extent.
Why 360 degrees
- Babylonian base 60 — their number system used sixty
- Divisibility — 360 divides evenly by many numbers
- Calendar — roughly the number of days in a year
- Minutes and seconds — each degree divides into sixty, then sixty again
- Radians — the alternative unit, based on the circle itself
From Old French *degré*, from Vulgar Latin *degradus*, a step, from Latin *gradus* — the root of *grade*, *gradual* and *progress*.
Why does a circle have 360 degrees?
The number comes from Babylonian mathematics, which used base sixty. It also divides evenly by many numbers, which is convenient.
Are degree and gradual related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *gradus*, a step. Gradual change happens step by step.