karat

noun

kar·​at ˈker-ət How to pronounce karat (audio)
ˈka-rət
variants or carat
: a unit of fineness for gold equal to ¹/₂₄ part of pure gold in an alloy

Examples of karat in a Sentence

She was wearing an 18 karat gold bracelet. Pure gold is 24 karats.
Recent Examples on the Web The Crystalline Crystal Quartz Diamond Necklace sees a clear crystal quartz hand set in 14 karat yellow gold on Italian gold chain. Angela Lei, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Depending on the design and karat, gold jewelry can get expensive. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 The watch is powered by an automatic movement with a 45-hour power reserve, and comes in 18 karat rose gold case and integrated bracelet. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2023 The umbrella is not only made with 6.83 karat diamonds but with white gold and dark wood at the handle. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 29 Sep. 2023 At Isabelle Subra Woolworth’s beautiful antique jewelry gallery, Bidermann falls for a 19th century spider brooch, and I am enthralled by a dazzling 18 karat gold chain that closes with an enameled barrel locket. Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2023 Between its opening in 1983 and closure in 2020, when mining the gems there was no longer economically viable, Argyle produced more than 865 million karats of rough diamonds. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023 Silver, Platinum 22 karat. The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 The Devialet Mania Opéra de Paris delivers high-quality 360-degree sound in an elegant yet compact package — with 24-karat-gold detailing inspired by the Opéra Garnier in Paris. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'karat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carrat — more at carat

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of karat was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near karat

Cite this Entry

“Karat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

karat

noun
kar·​at
variants or carat
ˈkar-ət
: a unit of fineness for gold equal to ¹⁄₂₄ part of pure gold in a blend with one or more other metals

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