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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

third degree en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Attested from 1900. The phrase, meaning "intense interrogation by police," likely refers to the Third Degree of Master Mason in Freemasonry, the ceremony for which included an interrogation. Alternatively, it reflects the practice of interrogation under torture, where three degrees of torture were recognized, of increasing intensity. In other contexts, three degrees of interrogation were recognised, with torture being the third degree.

Meanings

  1. (informal) Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confession
    • When I came home at 4 a.m., my dad really gave me the third degree.
    • In the book I use the terms "third degree" and "torture" interchangeably because "third degree" has become synonymous with torture and the interviewees often used them interchangeably. 2020, Jinee Lokaneeta, The Truth Machines, University of Michigan Press, →ISBN, page 168:

Relateds

Spanish Inquisition

Translations (5)

fr interrogatoire (Translations) · es tercer grado (Translations) · es interrogatorio (Translations) · es tantas preguntas (Translations) · it terzo grado (Translations)