third' degree'
- intensive questioning or rough treatment, esp. by the police, in order to get information or a confession.
- the degree of master mason in Freemasonry.
third-de•gree
Pronunciation: (thûrd'di-grē'), [key]
— v., adj. -greed, -gree•ing,
—v.t.
- to subject to the third degree.
—adj.
- of or pertaining to the third degree.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.