custom house

American  

Or customhouse,

noun

1. a government building or office, as at a seaport, for collecting customs, clearing vessels, etc.

---

custom house British  

noun

1. a government office, esp at a port, where customs are collected and ships cleared for entry

---

Etymology

Origin of custom house

First recorded in 1480–90

Example Sentences

One morning, we sat with Dunkin’ Donuts coffees and Penguin Classics editions of “The Scarlet Letter” on the steps of the Salem Custom House, where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived as the surveyor of Salem.

From The Wall Street Journal

Do you foresee more restaurants following your lead in creating custom house wine blends?

From Salon

The Old Custom House is most likely the place the two men first met.

From BBC

The old courthouse, which long ago served as a custom house for trade ships.

From Los Angeles Times

Linda Ann Fredericks was born on Sept. 27, 1950, in Custom House, an area in the docklands of East London.

From New York Times