This might be a very simple question but I can't seem to find a precise definition of the degree of an algebraic curve, if such can even be defined. In the plane, the degree of an algebraic curve is clear; it is simply the degree of the defining polynomial (a curve in the plane is defined by the equation f(x,y) = 0, for some polynomial f). In higher dimensions, say n, an algebraic curve is defined by n-1 polynomial equations f_1 =0, f_2 =0, \cdots, f_{n-1} = 0. However, the degree of the curve is no longer clear.
Can the degree of an algebraic curve be defined in higher dimensions? If so, how is it defined?
Thanks