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 

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

But despite the 24-carat trophy Cook handed Trump during their meeting, the true costs of those tariffs may finally show up for Apple customers later this month. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

Tiffany has a pop-up experience at this year's Open where a one-of-a-kind tennis racket is on display, featuring 5 carats of diamonds, alongside a 24-karat gold vermeil tennis ball, stitched with almost 7 carats of diamonds. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Kravitz adds her own edge with a casual 14-carat thumb ring. —Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2025

Meanwhile, Ann Grimmett, VP of merchandising at Jared Jewelers, agreed with the assessment on the size of the diamond, and added in a press release that the rock could be anywhere from 7 to 9 carats. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for carat

• buret
• ferret
• garret
• karat
• merit
• parrot
• demerit
• inherit
• preterit
• disinherit

Kids Definition

carat

1 of 2

variant of karat

carat

2 of 2 noun

car·​at ˈkar-ət 

: a unit of weight for precious gems (as diamonds) equal to 200 milligrams