third degree

third degree
1. intensive questioning or rough treatment, esp. by the police, in order to get information or a confession.
2. the degree of master mason in Freemasonry.
[1860-65]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • third-degree — adj [always before noun] 1.) third degree burn [usually plural] the most serious kind of burn, that goes right through your skin 2.) third degree murder/burglary/assault etc AmE murder etc that is considered by a court to be the least serious of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • third-degree — adj [always before noun] 1.) third degree burn [usually plural] the most serious kind of burn, that goes right through your skin 2.) third degree murder/burglary/assault etc AmE murder etc that is considered by a court to be the least serious of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • third degree — intense interrogation by police, 1900, probably a reference to Third Degree of master mason in Freemasonry (1772), the conferring of which included an interrogation ceremony. Third degree as a measure of severity of burns (most severe) is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • third degree — third de gree n give sb the third degree informal to ask someone a lot of questions in order to get information from them ▪ I got home after midnight and Dad gave me the third degree …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • third degree — third de gree n give sb the third degree informal to ask someone a lot of questions in order to get information from them ▪ I got home after midnight and Dad gave me the third degree …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • third degree — n. 1. in Freemasonry, the degree of master mason ☆ 2. [orig. ? fig. use of ritual by Freemasons] Informal harsh, grueling treatment and questioning of a prisoner in order to force a confession or exact information: often preceded by the third… …   English World dictionary

  • third degree — If someone is given the third degree, they are put under a great deal of pressure and intimidation to force them to tell the truth about something …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • third-degree — third′ degree′ v. t. to subject to the third degree • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

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