carat

(karət)

noun

  1. a unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equal to 3.0864 grains (200 milligrams): abbrev. C
  2. karat

Origin: Fr < It carato < Ar qīrāt, pod, husk, weight of 4 grains < Gr keration, little horn, carob seed, carat, dim. of keras, horn

See carat in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Abbr. c or car.
  1. A unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams.
  2. Variant of karat.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Medieval Latin quarātus

Origin: , from Arabic qīrāṭ, weight of four grains

Origin: , from Greek kerātion, a weight

Origin: , diminutive of keras, kerāt-, horn; see ker-1 in Indo-European roots

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