custom

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A practice followed by people of a particular group or region.
2. n. A habitual practice of a person: my custom of reading a little before sleep. See Synonyms at habit.
3. n. Law A common tradition or usage so long established that it has the force or validity of law.
4. n. Habitual patronage, as of a store.
5. n. Habitual customers; patrons.
6. n. Duties or taxes imposed on imported and, less commonly, exported goods.
7. n. The governmental agency authorized to collect these duties.
8. n. The procedure for inspecting goods and baggage entering a country.
9. n. Tribute, service, or rent paid by a feudal tenant to a lord.
10. adj. Made to order.
11. adj. Specializing in the making or selling of made-to-order goods: a custom tailor.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The common use or practice, either of an individual or of a community, but especially of the latter; habitual repetition of the same act or procedure; established manner or way.
2. n. In law, collectively, the settled habitudes of a community, such as are and have been for an indefinite time past generally recognized in it as the standards of what is just and right; ancient and general usage having the force of law. Some writers use the word without qualification, as meaning only general customs—that is, such as are prevalent throughout the nation; and some as meaning only local or particular customs, such as obtain only in a particular class, vocation, or place. In modern use, custom is more appropriate to immemorial habitudes, either general or characteristic of a particular district and having legal force, and usage to the habitudes of a particular vocation or trade. In the history of France the term custom is applied specifically to numerous systems of ancient usage which were judicially recognized as binding upon their respective communities before the revolution of 1789, or until the promulgation of the Code Napoléon: as, the custom of Normandy, of Brittany, of Orleans, etc. There were 60 general customs (each extending over a whole province) and 165 particular customs (those of cities, bishoprics, etc.) reduced to writing. The custom of Paris was established by the French as the law of Canada, and many of its provisions were embodied in the Code Napoléon.
3. n. The buying of goods or supplying of one's current needs; the practice of having recourse to some particular place, shop, manufactory, house of entertainment, etc., for the purpose of purchasing or giving orders.
4. n. Toll, tax, or duty; in the plural, specifically, the duties imposed by law on merchandise imported or exported. In the United States customs are by the Constitution confined to duties on imports (on which alone they are now levied in European countries generally), and are imposed by act of Congress. They have constituted more than half the receipts of the national government. Their management is intrusted to an officer of the Treasury Department called the Commissioner of Customs. See tariff.
5. n. In old French law, a system of customary law common to a whole province.
6. n. Duty, Impost, etc. See tax, n.
7. Done or made for individual customers, or to order: as, custom work; custom shoes.
8. Engaged in doing custom work: as, a custom tailor.
9. To make familiar; accustom.
10. To give custom to; supply with customers.
11. To pay duty for at the custom-house.
12. To be accustomed; be wont.

Wiktionary

1. n. Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living.
2. n. Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc, for making purchases or giving orders; business support.
3. n. Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.
4. n. Familiar acquaintance; familiarity.
5. n. The customary toll, tax, or tribute.
6. adj. made in a different way from usual, specially to fit one's needs
7. v. To make familiar; to accustom.
8. v. To supply with customers.
9. v. To pay the customs of.
10. v. To have a custom.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living.
2. n. Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc., for making purchases or giving orders; business support.
3. n. Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.
4. n. Familiar aquaintance; familiarity.
5. v. To make familiar; to accustom.
6. v. To supply with customers.
7. v. To have a custom.
8. n. The customary toll, tax, or tribute.
9. n. Duties or tolls imposed by law on commodities, imported or exported.
10. v. To pay the customs of.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a specific practice of long standing
2. n. accepted or habitual practice
3. adj. made according to the specifications of an individual
4. n. habitual patronage
5. n. money collected under a tariff