Definition of Degree of Differential Equation: -

The degree of a differential equation is the power of its highest derivative,

after the equation has been made rational and integral in all of its
derivatives in the given differential equation.
It may be noted that degree of a DE may or may not exist. To obtain degree
of a DE first we express the differential equation as a polynomial function
of the derivatives involved in it (here we don't care the exponent of
unknown function e.g., it may be a fraction as well). Thus, the degree of a
DE is the exponent of highest order derivative appearing in it provided the
differential equation is made a polynomial function of the derivatives
involved in it.
The degree of the differential equation is always a positive integer. The
order of the differential equation is to be identified first, and then the
degree of the differential equation can be identified.
 Cases in which degree is not defined: When the differential equation is
not the form of a polynomial then the degree cannot be defined.
Suppose in a differential equation dy/dx = tan (x+y), the degree is 1,
whereas for a differential equation tan (dy/dx) = x + y, the degree is not
defined.

Examples:-

The equation (f‴)2 + (f″)4 + f = x is an example of a second-degree,

third-order differential equation.
A first-degree equation is called linear if the function and all its
derivatives occur to the first power and if the coefficient of each
derivative in the equation involves only the independent variable x.

 7(d4y/dx4)3 + 5(d2y/dx2)4+ 9(dy/dx)8 + 11 = 0

  (dy/dx)2 + (dy/dx) - Cos3x = 0
 (d2y/dx2) + x(dy/dx)3 = 0

In the above differential equations, the degrees of the equations are three,
two, and one respectively.