noun
carat
A unit of gemstone weight equal to 200 milligrams.
The jeweler weighs the diamond against a one-carat weight.
Etymology
Greek keration named a carob pod. Carob seeds were used as small weights, connecting the plant name with a unit later standardized for weighing gemstones.
In context
one really easy trick to determine how much gold is in jewelry when you're shown the carat weight is to take the weight and divide it by 24.
More examples
- A one-carat stone weighs two hundred milligrams.
- The diamond’s price depends on more than its carat weight.
- The certificate lists the gem as half a carat.
Forms
carat · carats
Similar words
- karat
- Karat measures gold purity in American English; carat measures gemstone weight.