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customs
PLURAL:

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) duties imposed by law on imported or, less commonly, exported goods.

2. (used with a singular verb) the government department that collects these duties.

3. (used with a singular verb) the section of an airport, station, etc., where baggage is checked for contraband and for goods subject to duty.

noun (functioning as singular or plural):

1. duty on imports or exports.

2. the government department responsible for the collection of these duties.

3. the part of a port, airport, frontier station, etc, where baggage and freight are examined for dutiable goods and contraband.

4. the procedure for examining baggage and freight, paying duty, etc.

5. (as modifier):
customs officer.

plural:

1. duties, tolls, or imposts imposed by the sovereign law of a country on imports or exports.

2. (usually singular in construction) the agency, establishment, or procedure for collecting such customs: 
went through customs at the airport without any difficulty.

3. business patronage.

4. usually habitual patrons; customers.

Origin:

1150–1200; Middle English custume<Anglo-French; Old French costume<Vulgar Latin *co(n)s(uē)tūmin-, replacing Latin consuētūdin- (stem of consuētūdō), equivalent to consuēt(us) accustomed, past participle of consuēscere (con-con- + suē- (akin to suus one's own) + -tus past participle suffix) + -ūdin- noun suffix; cf. costume. Dictionary 2: C12: from Old French costume, from Latin consuētūdō, from consuēscere to grow accustomed to, from suēscere to be used to. —Dictionary.com. // 

First Known Use of custom: Noun: 13th century. Adjective: 1757. History and Etymology for custom: Noun and Adjective: Middle English custume, from Anglo-French, from Latin consuetudin-, consuetudo, from consuescere to accustom, from com- + suescere to accustom; akin to suus one's own — more at suicide. —Merriam-Webster.

Sources: 1, 2, 3.

customs
plural noun
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