degree of freedom

/D IH0 G R IY1 AH1 V F R IY1 D AH0 M/
noun
  1. 1

    Any of the coordinates, a minimum number of which are needed to specify the motion of a mechanical system.

  2. 2

    Any of the independent variables required to specify the thermodynamic state of a system containing components and phases.

  3. 3

    Any unrestricted variable in a frequency distribution.

Synonyms

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/degree%20of%20freedom