Word family noun custom customer customs adjective customary custom customizable accustomed verb accustom customize adverb customarily
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcustomcus‧tom1 /ˈkʌstəm/ ●●● W3 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]TRADITION something that is done by people in a particular society because it is traditional → traditionlocal/ancient/French etc custom The guide offers information on local customs.it is the custom (for somebody) to do something It’s the custom for the bride’s father to pay for the wedding.the custom of doing something The custom of naming women after flowers is becoming less common.► see thesaurus at habit2 [singular]HABIT formal something that you usually do every day, or in a particular situation SYN habit He awoke early, as was his custom.3 → customs4 [uncountable] formalBBTBUY the practice of regularly using a particular shop or business an advertisement to attract more custom Smaller shops lose a lot of custom when supermarkets open nearby.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + custom a local customWe were unfamiliar with the local customs.an old/ancient/age-old customHere on the island, many of the old customs have survived.an established customHe had criticized some of the school’s established customs.a traditional customThe children learn about traditional customs, crafts, music, and dance.a social customOur people do not want to imitate western social customs.a French/Greek etc customThe Spanish custom is to add the mother’s surname after the father’s.a tribal customHe spoke four African languages and knew most of the tribal customs.burial customs (=things done when someone dies and is buried)the diversity of burial customs in different parts of the worldverbsfollow/observe a custom (=do something that is part of a custom)Following a Chinese custom, Deng changed his given name to mark the occasion.respect a customStrangers should respect the customs of the country they are in.a custom survives (=continues to be followed)The custom of slaughtering an animal to welcome guests still survives in some areas.a custom dies out/disappears (=gradually stops being done)Sometimes the streets are decorated with flower petals, although this custom is dying out. Examples from the Corpus
custom• Is there a single frame or context of explanation which will unify the diversities of belief and custom?• He sat down gloomily behind his desk to await custom.• High customs tariffs and turnover taxes were introduced to prevent a large-scale inflow of consumer goods.• It was his custom to attend Mass every Sunday.• The service was not very good, so I've decided to take my custom elsewhere.• It was in fact made without protest and in the ordinary course of customs business.• Sadly, a lot of the old customs are now dying out.• On the other hand, it was no great sum and Hope's custom had given him publicity.• It is the custom in Japan to take your shoes off when you go into someone's house.• After the death of Grandfather Palichuk, the custom arose of frequently leaving him at home.• In those days it was the custom for farmers to give part of their crop to the lord of the manor.• The custom of sending birthday cards began in the 19th century.the custom of doing something• The custom of carving jack-o'-lanterns can be traced back to an old Irish folk tale.• Bored with the custom of the bishop's Easter letter, Hope has replaced it with a tabloid, just out.• Competition for the custom of wealthy individuals is also growing.• Families can drop the custom of serving unappetizing desserts and start tasty new holiday traditions, Eisenberg suggests.• If active steps are taken to attract the custom of older people, their response will reap its own rewards.• Then she apologised for her mask, which was indeed extraordinary, and said it was the custom of her people.• There is no historical evidence for the custom of releasing a prisoner at festival time, although such an amnesty was possible.• They are not bothered about the weather or the customs of the country they are in.• Without the custom of the conference delegate, salesman or business executive, many hotels would close.customcustom2 adjective [only before noun] especially American English custom products or services are specially designed and made for a particular person SYN bespoke His son operates a custom furniture business.Examples from the Corpus
custom• A $ 40 fare for three hours of skiing covers instructors, lift ticket and custom equipment.• President Robert Zeitsiff, who sent the handyman the catalog, said that the firm makes custom fixtures as well.• Seymour writes custom programs for banks and manages their computer operations.• Other kinds of sensors, in concert with smart materials, will produce custom systems for a host of problems.• Temsco also offers custom tours to LeConte Glacier and Mount McKinley.• And the custom travel organizer which is this, plus your glamour tray.• Should you create custom user profiles or not?• About 80 percent of the business is costuming, and the rest is custom work.custom-custom- /kʌstəm/ prefix → custom-made/custom-built/custom-designed etcFrom Longman Business Dictionarycustomcus‧tom /ˈkʌstəm/ noun [uncountable] British English when people use a particular shop or businessa marketing campaign to attract more customSaturday is usually our busiest day and we have missed out on a great deal of custom through the closure.Origin custom1 (1100-1200) Old French custume, from Latin consuetudo, from consuescere “to make someone used to something” 