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karat

American

[kar-uht] / ˈkær ət /

Or carat

noun

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

karat British

/ ˈkærət /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of karat

First recorded in 1550–60; spelling variant of carat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A 16 cm Cartier Love bracelet costs $8,655 including sales tax, and contains around 31 grams of 18 karat gold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

The toilet is made of 18 karat gold, meaning the metal is 75% gold and 25% alloy.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 1, 2025

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 • May 30, 2024

Meta Gala co-chair Dua Lipa wore a vintage 1992 Chanel Haute Couture Fall cream tweed gown and paired it with a never before seen 100 karat Tiffany diamond necklace.

From Reuters • May 2, 2023

Pippin's not so nicely spoken as you, my pet, but his heart's twenty-four karat.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023