custom

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A traditional way of behaving or doing something that is common to a group or society.

   Shaking hands is a common custom when meeting someone.

2. 2
   noun

   Something an individual usually does; a habit.

   It was his custom to take a walk after dinner.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Custom entered English in the Middle English period and ultimately comes from Latin consuetudo “custom, habit.” The related plural customs referred to payments traditionally owed to a lord or monarch, while customer originally denoted either a customs officer or someone who habitually bought from a particular trader.

PIE word *ḱóm PIE word *swé From Middle English custume, borrowed from Anglo-Norman custume, inherited from Latin consuētūdinem, a noun derived from cōnsuēscō, from con- (“with”) + suēscō (“become used or accustomed to”). Displaced native Old English ġewuna. Doublet of costume, consuetude, and kastom. The adjectival form first appears c. 1830.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary