noun
carat
KA-ruht
noun
1
A unit of mass used to weigh gemstones, equal to exactly 200 milligrams.
"The engagement ring featured a two-carat diamond."
2
A scale of 24 parts used to measure the purity of gold.
"The necklace was made from 18-carat gold."
How to Use Carat
Learner’s notes
Common mistake
Don't confuse "carat" (weight of a gemstone or gold purity) with "karat," the American spelling used specifically for gold purity, or "carrot," the vegetable.
Easily confused with
karat
carrot →
Common pairings
a one-carat diamond
24-carat gold
Word Forms
carats plural
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Fill the Gap
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The engagement ring featured a two-_____ diamond.
Etymology
From Arabic qirat, "small unit of weight," ultimately from Greek keration, "little horn" or "carob seed" — carob seeds were once used as a natural, fairly consistent weight for measuring gems.