Caract

/ˈkærakt/ noun

Definition

An obsolete or archaic term, possibly related to character or carat (a unit of weight for gems and gold).

Etymology

Either a shortened form of 'character' from Latin 'character,' or possibly a variant of 'carat' from Arabic 'qirat' meaning a small weight. The origin is uncertain due to its rarity and archaic status in English.

Kelly Says

Caract is so obscure that even comprehensive historical dictionaries barely mention it—it's the kind of ghost word that sometimes appears in old texts and then completely vanishes, making word historians wonder if it was ever really used or just a medieval scribe's typo that got copied.

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