customer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A patron, a client; a person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant, or intends to do so.

   Every person who passes by is a potential customer.

2. 2
   noun

   A person, especially one engaging in some sort of interaction with others.

   a cool customer, a tough customer, an ugly customer

3. 3
   noun

   A native official who exacted customs duties.

   His houses […] are seized on by the Customer.

4. 4
   noun

   someone who pays for goods or services

5. 5
   noun

   A habitual patron, regular purchaser, returning client; a person or company who has a custom of buying from a particular business.

Etymology

From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.