I. carat
variant of karat
II. car·at ˈkarət also -er- noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from Medieval Latin carratus, from Arabic qīrāṭ bean or pea pod, weight of four grains, carat, from Greek keration carob bean, small weight, carat, literally, small horn, diminutive of kerat-, keras horn — more at horn
1. : any of various units of weight for precious stones (as diamonds and pearls): as
a. : a unit equal to 205.3 milligrams used in the United States before 1913
b. : an international unit equal to 200 milligrams that had already been adopted in most European countries and in Japan when it was made standard in the United States in 1913 — abbr. c ; called also international carat, metric carat
2. obsolete : worth , value , estimate
of too good carat to be left so without a guard — Ben Jonson