customs
customs Lexical Profile
customs Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The official government department or agency responsible for administering and collecting duties levied on imported goods and regulating the movement of items into and out of a country.
"It took us nearly an hour to pass through customs at the international airport."
Traditional and widely accepted ways of behaving or doing something that are specific to a particular society, place, or time (the plural form of custom).
"Travelers should familiarize themselves with local customs before visiting a foreign country."
The official duties, taxes, or tolls levied by a government on goods imported from or exported to other countries.
"The merchant had to pay heavy customs on the shipment of imported silk and spices."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the government agency or border inspection area, "customs" is a plural-form noun that can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the agency or its officers are emphasized (e.g., "Customs has cleared the shipment" vs. "Customs were searching the luggage").
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English custume, borrowed from Old French coustume, from Vulgar Latin consuetumen (from Latin consuetudo, meaning "habit" or "usage"). The sense of duties levied on imported goods developed in Middle English as "customary" tolls collected by a sovereign.