carat

Meaning

1. A metric unit of mass equal to exactly 200 mg, chiefly used for measuring precious stones and pearls.
2. (historical) Any of several small units of mass used for measuring precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 189–212 mg.
3. A 24-point scale used to measure the purity of gold.

Synonyms

karat

kt

c

dram

grain

metric carat

Translations

carato

carat

Karat

καράτι

quilate

quilate

karaat

quirat

kırat

قيراط

ct

καρατί

Gold

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkæɹ.ət/

Etymology

From Middle French carat, from Italian carato, from Arabic قِيرَاط (qīrāṭ, “carat, similarly small units such as inches”), from Ancient Greek κεράτιον (kerátion, “hornlet, carob seed”), from κέρας (kéras, “horn”) + -ιον (-ion, diminutive suffix). Doublet of quilate.