| degree (°) |
| Usage:
1. Use it to indicate degrees of arc. Don't put a space between it and the number. 360° 2. Don't use it with temperatures measured in kelvins. This usage was abolished in 1967 by the 13th General Conference on Weights and Measures. Write the freezing point of water as 273.15 K (note the lower case) not as 273.15°K. 3. When using it to write temperature, some organizations want you to put a space between it and the number and some don't. You be the judge. 20 °C vs. 20°C 20 °F vs. 20°F 4. 1°, 2°, and 3° are common abbreviations for primary, secondary, and tertiary in biology and medicine. 5. In medical shorthand, it is used to denote hours. q4° means "every four hours." |
| Etymology: The word degree derives via Old French from the Latin de, down, and gradus, step. |