Definition

A way to measure how pure gold is, where pure gold is 24 parts out of 24. For example, gold that is half pure is 12 parts out of 24.

Example

The ring is made of 18 karat gold, which means it contains 75% pure gold.

Conversation

I just bought a ring, and it's 18 karat gold.

That's nice! Is it for a special occasion?

Yeah, I'm planning to give it to my sister for her birthday.

What a thoughtful gift! She'll love the karat quality.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Karat originates from the Italian word 'carato', which comes from the Arabic 'qīrāṭ' (meaning a weight used for precious stones) and ultimately from the Greek 'keration' (meaning a carob seed, which was used as a weight). The term 'karat' refers to the measure of purity of gold or the weight of gemstones.

Memory Tip

Think of the carob seed, which was used as a weight in ancient times, to remember that 'karat' measures the purity of gold or the weight of precious stones.

Visually Confused Words