Meanings
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1
noun
a metric unit of mass equal to 200 milligrams, used for gemstones and pearls
The central diamond weighs just over one carat.
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2
noun
one of twenty-four parts by mass used to state the purity of gold; also spelled karat in American English
The bracelet is made from eighteen-carat gold.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Through French carat and Italian carato from Arabic qirat, ultimately from Greek keration, 'little horn; carob seed.' Carob seeds were associated with small standard weights, giving rise to the gemstone unit and then the gold-purity scale.