From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhabithab‧it /ˈhæbɪt/ ●●● S3 W3 noun 1 usual/regular [countable, uncountable]HABIT something that you do regularly or usually, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before Regular exercise is a good habit. Thinking negatively can become a habit. She has a habit of playing with her hair when she’s nervous. Some people drink alcohol as much from habit as from desire.by/out of/from habit (=because this is what you usually do in this situation) I did it out of habit.2 drugs [countable]ADDICTED a strong physical need to keep taking a drug regularly A lot of drug addicts get into petty crime to support their habit.heroin/cocaine etc habit His cocaine habit ruined him physically and financially.3 → not make a habit of (doing) something4 → I’m not in the habit of doing something5 → have a habit of doing something6 → old habits die hard7 → habit of thought/mind8 clothing [countable]DCRR a long loose piece of clothing worn by people in some religious groups a nun’s habit → a creature of habit at creature(3)COLLOCATIONSverbshave a habit (of doing something)He has a habit of being late.something becomes a habitOnce you have been driving for a few weeks, it becomes a habit.get into a habit (=start doing something regularly or often)Try to get into the habit of walking for 30 minutes each day.get out of a habit (=stop doing something regularly or often)She couldn’t get out of the habit of saying 'sorry'.break/kick a habit (=stop doing something that is bad for you)I’ve smoked for years, but I really want to kick the habit.develop/form a habitI developed a habit of eating porridge for breakfast.change your habitsIt's sometimes difficult for people to change their habits.adjectivesa good/bad habitEating healthy food as snacks is a good habit to get into.eating/drinking habits (=the kinds of things you eat or drink regularly)You need to change your eating habits.buying/spending habits (=the kinds of things you buy regularly)The recession will mean that many people will be changing their spending habits.viewing habits (=the kinds of television shows you regularly watch)Parents try to control their children’s viewing habits.sexual habits (=what you normally do in sexual relationships)a survey of the sexual habits of gay menpersonal habits (=the things you normally do each day, for example keeping yourself clean or whether you smoke)Some of his personal habits were unpleasant.social habits (=the things people normally do when they are with other people)Television changed some of our social habits.an annoying/unpleasant/nasty habitHe had the unpleasant habit of eating with his mouth open.a strange/peculiar/odd habitHe had a lot of peculiar habits, one of them being to stare at you without blinking.phrasesbe in the habit of doing somethingOn Friday evenings, Carrie was in the habit of visiting her parents.(by/from) force of habit (=used about a habit that is difficult to change)I still walk by his house each day - force of habit, I suppose.change/break the habits of a lifetime (=stop doing the things you have done for many years)It is hard to change the habits of a lifetime, but you must eat more healthily or you will have a heart attack.have the unfortunate habit of doing something (=do something that makes other people feel embarrassed or offended)Teenage girls have the unfortunate habit of laughing too loudly. THESAURUShabit something you do regularly, often without thinking about itBiting your nails is a bad habit.I always go to the same supermarket, out of habit.mannerism a way of speaking or a small movement of your face or body that is part of your usual behaviourEven her mannerisms are the same as her sister’s.custom something that people in a particular society do because it is traditional or the accepted thing to doIn Japan, it is the custom to take off your shoes when you enter a house.tradition a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long timeThe tradition of giving Easter eggs goes back hundreds of years.In many countries, it’s a tradition for the bride to wear white.It was a family tradition to go for a walk on Christmas Day.practice something that people often do, especially as part of their work or daily lifeThe hotel has ended the practice of leaving chocolates in guests’ rooms.
Examples from the Corpus
habit• If you have one or two drinks each day, it soon becomes a habit.• And yet they lacked the most rudimentary academic habits.• He has a really annoying habit of leaving his clothes all over the floor.• Septimus is trained out of his bad habits in the end, and everyone sleeps happily ever after.• Ever since I was a teenager, I have had the bad habit of pulling and twisting my hair.• Don't start smoking - it's a very bad habit.• His cocaine habit was ruining his life.• Today, smoking is really a disruptive habit.• healthy eating habits• People need to change their eating habits and include more fruit and vegetables in their diet.• Peter had some pretty odd habits.• The game is filled with creatures of habit and superstition.• My father had some rather strange habits, like reading the newspaper in the bath.• I'm not in the habit of going to bars during the day.• She was in the habit of taking a walk in the early evening.• You ought to get into the habit of planning your work at the beginning of each week.• He had got into the habit of phoning home during the day.• Some smokers use chewing gum containing nicotine to help them kick the habit.• In recent years, more than 11 million smokers in Britain have kicked the habit.• The habit of moving around in large groups is much commoner in fish than in other kinds of animals.• Many of them get into petty crime to support their habit.• But human beings have raised this habit to an art.• Patterns of behaviour develop gradually until they become unconscious habits.heroin/cocaine etc habit• We stole twenty-seven handguns from a National Guard armory to feed our heroin habit.Origin habit (1100-1200) Old French Latin habitus “condition, character”, from habere “to have” 