carat

Definitions


[ˈkarət], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a measure of the purity of gold, pure gold being 24 carats
(e.g: 22-carat gold)

- a unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 200 milligrams
(e.g: a half-carat diamond ring)


Phrases:

Origin:
late Middle English: from French, from Italian carato, from Arabic qīrāṭ (a unit of weight), from Greek keration ‘fruit of the carob’ (also denoting a unit of weight), diminutive of keras ‘horn’, with reference to the elongated seed pod of the carob




definition by Oxford Dictionaries