The degree is a unit of angular measurement or a unit of temperature. As a unit of angular measurement, the degree is one of 360 equal parts of the total angle formed by a circle. Thus the angle formed by a straight line is 180 degrees (180°), and the angle formed by two intersecting perpendicular lines is 90 degrees (90°). The angular degree is further divided into 60 minutes, and the minute is subdivided into 60 seconds.
Several different units of temperature are also called degrees. On the Fahrenheit temperature scale the interval between the respective temperatures at which water will freeze and boil is divided into 180 degrees. On the centigrade scale the same interval is divided into 100 degrees.
