[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

carat \car"at\ ka^r"a^t, n. f. carat cf. it. carato,
   opg. quirate, pg.  sp. quilate, ar. qimacr=at bean or
   pea shell, a weight of four grains, a carat, fr. gr.
   kera`tion a little horn, the fruit of the carob tree, a
   weight, a carat. see horn.
   1. the weight by which precious stones and pearls are
      weighed.
      1913 webster

   note: the carat equals three and one fifth grains troy, and
         is divided into four grains, sometimes called carat
         grains. diamonds and other precious stones are
         estimated by carats and fractions of carats, and
         pearls, usually, by carat grains. --tiffany.
         1913 webster

   2. a twenty-fourth part; -- a term used in estimating the
      proportionate fineness of gold.
      1913 webster

   note: a mass of metal is said to be so many carats fine,
         according to the number of twenty-fourths of pure gold
         which it contains; as, 22 carats fine goldsmith's
         standard = 22 parts of gold, 1 of copper, and 1 of
         silver.
         1913 webster
see also:
horn 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

carat
     n 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 syn: karat
see also:
karat 

[3] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

carat, weights. a carat is a weight equal to three and one-sixth grains, in 
diamonds, and the like. jac. l. dict. see weight. 

Carat >> C Words
Carat, definition of term: Carat
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