What does deg mean?
"Deg" is an informal abbreviation of "degree," the unit used to measure temperature, angles, and academic qualifications. It appears most often in contexts where brevity matters: weather summaries, technical specifications, tables, and handwritten notes, as in "heat to 200 deg" or "an incline of 30 deg." Because it is a clipped form rather than a standalone lexical item, style guides generally prefer the full word "degrees" in formal writing, and the abbreviation is typically written without a period in scientific usage. The underlying word traces back through Old French to the Latin gradus, meaning "step," which also gives us "grade," "gradual," and "degrade." While "deg" itself carries no emotional connotation, it signals practicality and compression — the language of instruments and readouts rather than essays. For readers, recognizing it is effortless; using it well simply means knowing when informality and economy are appropriate.
noun"Deg" is a chiefly informal abbreviation of "degree," used in contexts such as temperature readings or academic qualifications.
- An informal abbreviation of "degree," especially for temperature or angles.
"The forecast says it will drop to minus five deg tonight."
"Set the oven to 180 deg and let it preheat."
"The angle measures about 45 deg."
Rarely pluralized; when more than one degree is meant, the full form "degrees" (or the symbol °) is normally preferred.
"The temperature swing was nearly twenty degs overnight."
Every time you read '20 deg C' on a weather app, you're reading a tiny piece of Latin — the abbreviation descends from gradus, meaning 'step.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deg
"Deg" arose as a natural clipping of "degree," a word borrowed into Middle English from Old French degré, ultimately from Latin degradus, formed on gradus, meaning "step" or "pace." The same Latin root produced English "grade," "gradual," "graduate," and "degrade." As an abbreviation it developed alongside scientific and technical shorthand, where units of measurement were routinely shortened.
How deg is actually used
Strictly an abbreviation rather than a fully independent English word; it appears mostly in technical, scientific, or space-constrained contexts such as tables, forecasts, and engineering notes. In careful prose, spell out "degrees."
Easily confused with deg
"Degree" is the full standard word, while "deg" is only its abbreviated form and should be avoided in formal writing.