karat

or car·at

[ kar-uht ]

noun

1. a unit for measuring the fineness of gold, pure gold being 24 karats fine. : k., kt.

karat

/ ˈkærət /

noun

1. a measure of the proportion of gold in an alloy, expressed as the number of parts of gold in 24 parts of the alloy Also spelt (in Britain and certain other countries)carat

Word History and Origins

Origin of karat¹

First recorded in 1550–60; spelling variant of carat

Word History and Origins

Origin of karat¹

C16: from Old French, from Medieval Latin carratus, from Arabic qīrāt weight of four grains, carat, from Greek keration a little horn, from keras horn

Example Sentences

Featuring an array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings in 18 karat yellow gold and black titanium with diamonds, the collection is feels personal to Pharrell.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’m pretty sure it says 14 karats on the inside,” Friedman said back on the street in the waning evening sunlight, positing that the $9 trinket was probably a white gold engagement band.

From Los Angeles Times

It contains just under 400 diamonds, rubies and sapphires and is set onto yellow gold, with a total karat weight of approximately 6 carats.

From Los Angeles Times

If a Hallmark stamp such as “14K” is found, it signifies that the metal used is 14 karat gold.

From Encyclopedia.com

Two measures are used by jewelers to determine this — karat and pennyweight.

From Encyclopedia.com