| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| custom |
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| SYLLABICATION: | cus·tom |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  k s t m |
| NOUN: | 1. A practice followed by people of a particular group or region. 2. A habitual practice of a person: my custom of reading a little before sleep. See synonyms at habit. 3. Law A common tradition or usage so long established that it has the force or validity of law. 4a. Habitual patronage, as of a store. b. Habitual customers; patrons. 5. customs a. Duties or taxes imposed on imported and, less commonly, exported goods. b. (used with a sing. verb) The governmental agency authorized to collect these duties. c. (used with a sing. verb) The procedure for inspecting goods and baggage entering a country. 6. Tribute, service, or rent paid by a feudal tenant to a lord. | | ADJECTIVE: | 1. Made to order. 2. Specializing in the making or selling of made-to-order goods: a custom tailor. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English custume, from Old French costume, from Latin c nsu t d, cnsutdin-, from cnsutus, past participle of cnsuscere, to accustom : com-, intensive pref.; see com– + suscere, to become accustomed; see s(w)e- in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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