by degrees Definition

degree
noun degrees

1. An amount or extent.

Thesaurus: level, status, rank, station, order, quality, standard, height, length, expanse, range, proportion, quantity, amplitude.
2. physics.
(symbol °) a unit of temperature used in the Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin scales.
3. geom.
(symbol °) a unit by which angles are measured and direction is described, equal to the angle of one sector of a circle that has been divided into 360 equal parts.
4. An award or title given by a university or college, either earned by examination or research, or given as a mark of honour.
5. A comparative amount of severity or seriousness (see first-degree, second-degree, third-degree).

Idiom: by degrees

Gradually.
Thesaurus: gradually, step by step, slowly but surely, inch by inch.

Idiom: to a degree

To a certain extent.
Thesaurus: somewhat, partially, to an extent, partly.

To a great extent, to extremes.

Etymology: 13c as degre: French, from Latin de down + gradus step.