carat

1 of 2

noun (1)

car·​at

variant spelling of karat

: a unit of fineness for gold equal to ¹/₂₄ part of pure gold in an alloy

carat

2 of 2

noun (2)

car·​at ˈker-ət How to pronounce carat (audio)
ˈka-rət
: a unit of weight for precious stones equal to 200 milligrams

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a carat and a karat?

These two words are tricky, as one of them may refer both to the measurement of a precious stone's weight and to the purity of gold, while the other only refers to the purity of gold. Carat may be used for both, but karat is only employed in reference to gold.

What is weighed in carats?

Precious stones are weighed in carats; a single carat is equal to 200 milligrams. Carat is also a variant spelling of karat, which measures the purity (but not the weight) of gold.

How much is a carat?

If carat is serving as a variant spelling of karat, then it is measuring the fineness, rather than the weight, of gold; each carat is equal to 1/24 part of pure gold. If carat is being used in reference to precious stones, it is a unit of weight equal to 200 milligrams.

Examples of carat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The three-row necklace highlighted two enormous diamonds—a 17.04 carat inverted pear-cut, and an 18.88 carat oval. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 The Oscar-winning actress paired the look with more than 40 carats of De Beers diamond jewelry. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Finally, much also was made of Robbie’s Lorraine Schwartz jewels, which totaled 95 carats of diamonds and vaulted the famed designer into the No. 8 spot with an MIV of $226,000. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Swift’s black diamond choker timepiece necklace was also paired with layers and layers of diamonds by Schwartz totaling 300 carats. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 4 Feb. 2024 The lot was a pair of fancy vivid orange-yellow diamond earrings weighing 12.20 and 11.96 carats. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 That’s why the irony is carats, using this metaphor of bling. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 18 Jan. 2024 Robbie turned heads at the Sunday award show — where she is nominated for best actress — in custom red Balmain and almost 100 carats of Lorraine Schwartz diamonds, including 60-ct. oval diamond earrings and a 35-ct. oval diamond ring. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024 Now, the jewelry house is upping the ante with its latest XLarge Winston Cluster Wreath necklace, set in platinum with 114 diamonds including pear, round brilliant, and marquise cuts totaling 122 carats—currently the largest, most extravagant version of the Cluster available worldwide today. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English carrat measure of fineness in gold, from Middle French carat measure of fineness in gold or of weight in gems, from Italian carato, from Arabic qīrāṭ bean pod, a small weight, from Greek keration carob bean, a small weight, from diminutive of kerat-, keras horn — more at horn

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carat was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near carat

Cite this Entry

“Carat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carat. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carat

1 of 2

variant of karat

carat

2 of 2 noun
car·​at ˈkar-ət How to pronounce carat (audio)
: a unit of weight for precious gems (as diamonds) equal to 200 milligrams

More from Merriam-Webster on carat

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