- plural of custom.
customs
Britishnoun
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duty on imports or exports
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the government department responsible for the collection of these duties
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the part of a port, airport, frontier station, etc, where baggage and freight are examined for dutiable goods and contraband
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the procedure for examining baggage and freight, paying duty, etc
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( as modifier )
customs officer
Explanation
Customs are taxes, or duties, that you sometimes have to pay when you import goods from another country. When you return home from a trip to another country, you have to clear customs by talking to a customs officer and declaring everything you bought or got as a gift while you were traveling. If you're bringing in a lot of stuff, you may have to pay customs — the duty on imports. Customs are a source of income for a country, and they also provide control over what’s coming in.
Vocabulary lists containing customs
Beowulf vocabulary
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How Dare the Sun Rise
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Murder on the Orient Express
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The time I scored a seat and managed to take a little nap on the ride to customs.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Hours later, the Philippines' customs department issued a statement saying it had ordered the "preventative suspension" of an agent who owned the guns "allegedly used by the student involved".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
The team feels gala days such as Marymass, and others that take place across Scotland that are filled with local traditions and customs, remain a way to bring a community together.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Reddit users congregate on various interest-led subreddits that are governed by their own rules and customs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Finally, he was told by a customs agent that he had to have additional pages added to his passport.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
