carat
A metric unit of mass equal to exactly 200 mg, chiefly used for measuring precious stones and pearls.
Other meanings
Any of several small units of mass used for measuring precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 189–212 mg.
A 24-point scale used to measure the purity of gold.
“18-carat gold is 75% gold by mass. 24-carat gold is pure.”
Related words
- caratage
- carater
- multicarat
- metric carat
Word history
From Ancient Greek "κεράτιον" (hornlet, carob seed).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “carat” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.