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custody
[ kuhs-tuh-dee ]
/ ËkÊs tÉ di /
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noun, plural cus·to·dies.
keeping; guardianship; care.
the keeping or charge of officers of the law: The car was held in the custody of the police.
imprisonment; legal restraint: He was taken into custody.
Also called child custody. Law. the right of determining the residence, protection, care, and education of a minor child or children, especially in a divorce or separation.Compare joint custody, sole custody.
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Origin of custody
1400â50; late Middle English custodye <Latin custĆdia âa watching, watchman,â equivalent to custĆd- (stem of custĆs ) âkeeperâ + -ia -y3
synonym study for custody
1. Custody, keeping, possession imply a guardianship or care for something. Custody denotes a strict keeping, as by a formally authorized and responsible guardian or keeper: in the custody of the sheriff. Keeping denotes having in one's care or charge, as for guarding or preservation: I left the package in my mother's keeping. Possession means holding, ownership, or mastery: Leave it in possession of its owner.
Words nearby custody
Custer's last stand, custodes, custodial, custodian, custodianship, custody, custom, customable, customary, custom-build, custom-built
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use custody in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for custody
custody
/ (ËkÊstÉdÉȘ) /
noun plural -dies
the act of keeping safe or guarding, esp the right of guardianship of a minor
the state of being held by the police; arrest (esp in the phrases in custody, take into custody)
Derived forms of custody
custodial (kÊËstÉÊdÉȘÉl), adjectiveWord Origin for custody
C15: from Latin custĆdia, from custĆs guard, defender
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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