Forms: 6 caracte, carette, carret, (carrotte), charect, 6–7 karect(e, carrect, 6–9 caract, 7 caratt, karat, charat, charact, charract, (corrat, carack, carrack), 7–8 carrat, carract, 7– carat. [a. F. carat, ad. It. carato: cf. Sp. and Pg. quilate, earlier quirate, a. Arab. qīrāṭ (and qirrāṭ) ‘weight of 4 grains,’ acc. to Freytag ad. Gr. καράτιον ‘little horn, fruit of carob or locust tree, a weight = 1/3 of an obol.’ Isidore (XVI. xxv. 10) has ‘ceratum oboli pars media est, habens siliquam unam et semis’; but originally the Gr. καράτιον was identical with the L. siliqua, and was called the siliqua Græca. (Formerly confounded with caract mark, sign, character: see sense 4.)
As a measure of weight and fineness, the carat represents the Roman siliqua, as 1/24 the golden solidus of Constantine, which was 1/6 of an ounce: hence the various values into which 1/24 and 1/144 enter or originally entered.]
† 1. The seed or ‘bean’ of the carob-tree. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 447. The fruit called Carobes or Caracts.
[1846. Lindley, Veg. Kingd. (1853), 549–50.]
2. A measure of weight used for diamonds and other precious stones, originally 1/144 of an ounce, or 31/3 grains, but now equal to about 1/150 of an ounce troy, or 31/5 grains, though varying slightly with time and place. It is divided into 4 carat-grains. Also attrib., as in a one-carat diamond.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 48. As for the valu, yoor iewellers by their Carrets let them cast, and they can.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 225. These pearles are prised according to the caracts which they weigh, euery caract is 4 graines.
1667. E. King, in Phil. Trans., II. 429. A Diamond of 10 Carats.
1679. Lond. Gaz., No. 1462/4. Lost … a parcel of Rough Diamonds … containing 38 Caracks 7/8.
1743. S. Madden, Boulter’s Mon. (1745), 57. Augmenting Carracts vastly raise Th’ advancing Value of the Diamond’s Blaze.
1750. Beawes, Lex Mercat. (1752), 873. The Jewellers divide the Ounce into 152 Parts, or Carats, and these into Grains, whereof four make a Carat.
1868. Seyd, Bullion, 146. Six carats are equal to 19 grains Troy weight.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 36. A one carat diamond.
1887. Whitaker’s Almanack, 362/2. The jewellery ounce is divided into 1511/2 carats and 600 pearl grains.
3. A proportional measure of one twenty-fourth used in stating the fineness of gold; e.g., if the mass contain 22 parts of pure gold and 2 of alloy, it is said to be 22 carats fine, or gold of 22 carats. Also attrib. with numeral, as 22-carat gold.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 211. The golde is of .xxii. caractes or better in fynesse.
1575–6. Act 18 Eliz., xv. No … Golde lesse in fynesse than that of xxij Carrottes.
1627. Donne, Serm., clvii. Wks. 1839, VI. 266. All their clods of Earth are Gold … of innumerable Carats.
1676. B. W[illis], Man. Goldsm., 57. In his report of a Gold assay he [the Assay-master] sets it down by Carracts and Carract-grains.
1722. Lond. Gaz., No. 6059/2. The Gold … will be of the Standard of 22 Carrats.
1806. Hutton, Course Math. (1806), I. 129. It is said to be 22 caracts fine.
1820. G. C. Carey, Funds, 94. The whole weight of any piece of pure gold is supposed to be divided into twenty-four equal parts, called carats.
fig. 1581. Sidney, Astr. & Stella, xvi. Beauties which were of many carrets fine.
† b. The tradition that the carat was originally a definite weight of gold, and = 1/24 of some weight (see the etymology), survived in dictionaries, arithmetical works, etc., but these have erroneously taken it as 1/24 of an ounce (= 1 scruple), and 1/24 of a pound Troy (= 1/2 oz.); also as 1/3 of an ounce.
1552. Huloet, Scruple, a certayne measuer called a charect, whereof thre make a dramme.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr. (1568), 49 a. Take Damaskene Roses … an unce, Lignum Aloes, Galanga, Bengewyne, of eche of them a carette.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Carat … is the third part of an ounce.
1667. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. (1684), 12. The pound weight or 12 Ounces Troy of Gold, is divided into 24 parts which are called carrats so that each carrat is 10 penny weight troy, or half an ounce.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chym., I. i. 64. A Carat of Gold is properly the weight of one Scruple.
1755. Gentl. Mag., XXV. 361/2. Weigh a small vial which holds about 4 ounces, very exactly; then fill it with water, and weigh that also;… 1–128th of the whole … is called a caract.
1852. A. Ryland, Assay Gold & S., 28. The ounce containing 24 carats.
† 4. fig. Worth, value; estimate. Obs.
(Here a confusion with CARACT character, is evident.)
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. v. 162. Thou best of Gold, art worst of Gold. Other, lesse fine of Charract, is more precious.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., III. iii. 22. No beautie, no; you are of too good caract, To be left so, without a guard.
1650. Howell, Giraffi’s Rev. Naples, 125. Authority doth commonly discompose the mind of man, specially one of a base carat.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), II. 14. Counterfeit Jewels of any Caract.
