Cus"tom (k?s"t?m), n. [OF. custume, costume, Anglo-Norman coustome, F. coutume, fr. (assumed) LL. consuetumen custom, habit, fr. L. consuetudo, -dinis, fr. consuescere to accustom, verb inchoative fr. consuere to be accustomed; con- + suere to be accustomed, pro originally, to make one's own, fr. the root of suus one's own; akin to E. so, adv. Cf. Consuetude, Costume.]
1. Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living.
And teach customs which are not lawful.
Acts xvi. 21.
Moved beyong his custom, Gama said.
Tennyson.
A custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
Shak.
2. Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc., for making purchases or giving orders; business support.
Let him have your custom, but not your votes.
Addison.
3. Law Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.
⇒ Usage is a fact. Custom is a law. There can be no custom without usage, though there may be usage without custom.
Wharton.
4. Familiar aquaintance; familiarity. [Obs.]
Age can not wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety.
Shak.
Custom of merchants, a system or code of customs by which affairs of commerce are regulated. -- General customs, those which extend over a state or kingdom. -- Particular customs, those which are limited to a city or district; as, the customs of London.
Syn. -- Practice; fashion. See Habit, and Usage.
© Webster 1913.
Cus"tom, v. t. [Cf. OF. costumer. Cf. Accustom.]
1. To make familiar; to accustom. [Obs.]
Gray.
2. To supply with customers. [Obs.]
Bacon.
© Webster 1913.
Cus"tom, v. i. To have a custom. [Obs.]
On a bridge he custometh to fight.
Spenser.
© Webster 1913.
Cus"tom, n. [OF. coustume, F. coutume, tax, i. e., the usual tax. See 1st Custom.] 1 the customary toll,tax, or tribute.
Render, therefore, to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom.
Rom. xiii. 7.
2. pl. Duties or tolls imposed by law on commodities, imported or exported.
© Webster 1913.
Cus"tom, v. t. To pay the customs of. [Obs.]
Marlowe.
© Webster 1913. | 
