What is meant by the degree of a polynomial in one variable?

1. A polynomial in one variable is called univariate. 2. Its degree, also called its order, is the value of the highest exponent it contains. 3. So a cubic has degree three, whatever the coefficients happen to be. 4. The number of terms is a separate idea, and it gives the names monomial, binomial and trinomial. _Source: Siyavula Mathematics Grade 12 (Everything Maths, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 5: Polynomials_