Third Degree
Preserved but no longer current.
The highest degree, that of Master Mason, in British Freemasonry. In U.S.A. the term is applied to the use of ex- haustive questioning and cross questioning by the police in the endeavour to extort a con- fession or compromising information from a criminal, accomplice, or witness.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Third Degree” mean?
The highest degree, that of Master Mason, in British Freemasonry. In U.S.A. the term is applied to the use of ex- haustive questioning and cross questioning by the police in the endeavour to extort a con- fession or compromising information from a criminal, accomplice, or witness.
Is “Third Degree” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.