CARAT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does carat mean? 

• CARAT (noun)
  The noun CARAT has 2 senses:

1. a unit of weight for precious stones = 200 mg

2. the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold

  Familiarity information: CARAT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CARAT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A unit of weight for precious stones = 200 mg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("carat" is a kind of...):

metric weight unit; weight unit (a decimal unit of weight based on the gram)

Meronyms (parts of "carat"):

decigram; dg (1/10 gram)

Holonyms ("carat" is a part of...):

g; gm; gram; gramme (a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The unit of measurement for the proportion of gold in an alloy; 18-karat gold is 75% gold; 24-karat gold is pure gold

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

carat; karat; kt

Hypernyms ("carat" is a kind of...):

unit; unit of measurement (any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange)

 Context examples 

Pure gold is 24 carat, whilst 18 carat gold comprises 18/24 gold and 6/24 alloy.

(Carat of Gold Alloy, NCI Thesaurus)