"by degrees" meaning in English

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "by degrees"
      },
      "expansion": "by degrees",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 36",
          "text": "By degrees the libraries which were unendowed fell behind the age, and were consequently neglected.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In gradual steps; bit by bit."
      ],
      "id": "en-by_degrees-en-prep_phrase-GdKaTPNl",
      "links": [
        [
          "gradual",
          "gradual"
        ],
        [
          "bit by bit",
          "bit by bit"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "in order"
        },
        {
          "word": "step by step"
        },
        {
          "word": "sequentially"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "逐漸地"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhújiàn de",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "逐渐地"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "asteittain"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "a poco a poco"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "a pouco e pouco"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "gradualmente"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "postepénno",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "постепе́нно"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ponemnógu",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "понемно́гу"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "málo-pomálu",
          "sense": "in gradual steps",
          "word": "ма́ло-пома́лу"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "by degrees"
}

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "by degrees"
      },
      "expansion": "by degrees",
      "name": "head"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
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        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 36",
          "text": "By degrees the libraries which were unendowed fell behind the age, and were consequently neglected.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In gradual steps; bit by bit."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "gradual",
          "gradual"
        ],
        [
          "bit by bit",
          "bit by bit"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "in order"
    },
    {
      "word": "step by step"
    },
    {
      "word": "sequentially"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "逐漸地"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhújiàn de",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "逐渐地"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "asteittain"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "a poco a poco"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "a pouco e pouco"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "gradualmente"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "postepénno",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "постепе́нно"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ponemnógu",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "понемно́гу"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "málo-pomálu",
      "sense": "in gradual steps",
      "word": "ма́ло-пома́лу"
    }
  ],
  "word": "by degrees"
}