From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfirst degreeˌfirst deˈgree noun 1 [countable usually singular] British English used to talk about a university degree such as a BA or a BSc, obtained by people who do not already have a degree2 → murder in the first degree
Examples from the Corpus
first degree• Entrants normally require a first degree but non-graduate applicants who give evidence of comparable academic capability are also considered.• The discrepancy between men and women is greater at higher degree level than at first degree level.• A good first degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline is required as well as experience in the chosen field of research.• The Education Act 1962 currently limits mandatory grant support to full-time first degree and comparable courses.• This fact alone suggests that a purely descriptive approach to first degree courses is likely to be unproductive or excruciatingly boring.first-degreeˌfirst-deˈgree adjective [only before noun] 1 → first-degree burn2 → first-degree murderExamples from the Corpus
first-degree• The next stop would have been prison for a conviction of first-degree burglary.• These bags have been known to give people first-degree burns.• Instead of being convicted of first-degree murder, Mitchell got six years for voluntary manslaughter.• If convicted of first-degree murder Mr Markovic would face at least 10 years in prison.• She was charged with first-degree murder.• So the only issue before me is actual innocence of first-degree murder. 