custom
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before going in front of a judge) | She was held in police custody for six hours. → see also PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
cus·tom¹ /'kʌstəm/ n 1 [C;U] (an) established and habitual practice, especially of a religious or social kind, that is typical of a particular group of people: a tribal custom hundreds of years old | Social customs vary greatly from country to country. 2 [C] the habitual practice of a person: It was his custom to get up early and have a cold bath. → see HABIT (USAGE) 3 [U] BrE || patronage AmE regular support given to a shop by those who buy its goods or services: We lost a lot of custom when the new supermarket opened. → see also CUSTOMS
custom² adj [A] AmE (of a product, service etc) specially designed and made for a particular person: a custom furniture business
custom and 'practice n [U] (in law) an established practice which by long continuance has earned the force of a law or right, especially the established practice of a particular profession, society, area etc
cus·tom·ar·y /'kʌstəmərɪl-merɪ/ adj fml established by custom; usual or habitual: It is customary to wear formal clothes on these occasions. | 'I hate it,' he said, with his customary candour. —rily /'kʌstəmərɪli,kʌstə'merɪli/ adv
custom-'built adj (of a car, machine etc) made especially for one person or group of people
cus·tom·er /'kʌstəmər/ n 1 a person or organization that buys goods or services from a shop, business etc, especially regularly: The new shop across the road has taken away most of my customers. | This company is one of the Post Office's biggest customers. | The new sugar-free drinks were produced in response to customer demand. | a valued customer → compare PATRON 2 slang a person of the stated kind: an odd customer | She's rather a tricky customer to do business with. 3 the customer is always right you should always show respect to the customers, even if they are being very unreasonable or unpleasant; a phrase that is believed to be used by people who work in shops
When people go out to buy things in shops, they are shoppers: a busy street full of shoppers. When people buy things from a particular shop, they are that shop's customers: Mrs Low can't come to the telephone – she's serving a customer. If you are paying for professional services, e.g. from a lawyer or a bank, you are a client but in the case of medical services you are a patient. If you are staying in a hotel, you are a guest. If you are using transportation services you are a passenger, though increasingly customer is also used in this sense.
customer 'services n [U] the part of a company or business that deals with questions, problems etc that customers have: You should call customer services and complain.
cus·tom·ize also -ise BrE /'kʌstəmaɪz/ v [T] to make, build, or change especially for one person
custom-'made adj (of an article of clothing, pair of shoes etc) made specially for one person or group of people
cus·toms /'kʌstəmz/ n [P] 1 (often cap.) a place where travelers' belongings can be searched when leaving or entering a country, especially to see if they are trying to SMUGGLE anything into the country: As soon as I'd got through customs I jumped into a taxi. | When you get to Customs, go straight through the 'Nothing to declare' channel, the green one. 2 taxes paid on goods entering or leaving a country: Have you paid customs duty on this camera? 3 (often cap.) the government organization established to collect these taxes → compare EXCISE
Customs and 'Excise, customs and excise n [singular] the department of the British government that is responsible for collecting the tax on goods that are being bought or sold or have been brought into the country
'customs officer also 'customs official n a government official whose job it is to make sure that customs duties are paid on goods entering a country, and that illegal goods are not brought into the country. In films, books etc, customs officers usually ask 'Have you anything to declare?': A customs officer checked our luggage at the port. | Customs officers seized a quarter of a million pounds' worth of heroin.
cut¹ /kʌt/ v cut, present participle cutting TO DO SOMETHING USING A SHARP EDGE OR INSTRUMENT 1 [i;T] to make a narrow opening in (something) with a sharp edge or instrument, accidentally or on purpose: Be careful not to cut your fingers on the broken glass. | I cut myself/my face when I was shaving. | We had to cut through the car door to free the trapped man. 2 [T+obj+adv/prep] to remove from the main part of something with a sharp instrument: I cut the picture out of the newspaper. | Cut the rind off the cheese. | The surgeon cut away the diseased tissue from the patient's lungs. | (fig.) Some scenes have been cut from the film. 3 [T(UP)] to divide or separate with a sharp edge or instrument: The boys cut the cake in two and ate half each. 4 [T] to make by using a sharp instrument: to cut a hole in a piece of cloth | We cut our way through the forest. | I cut myself free/loose with my axe. 5 [I+adv] to be able to be separated, divided, or marked with a sharp instrument: A freshly baked loaf doesn't cut easily. → see BREAK (USAGE) TO MAKE SOMETHING SMALLER OR SHORTER 6 [T] to shorten with a sharp instrument a) in order to improve the appearance: to cut the grass/one's fingernails | I'm having my hair cut tomorrow. (=someone will cut it for me) b) before gathering a crop: to cut the corn 7 [T] to make less in size, amount, value etc; reduce: The company has cut the workforce by half. (=reduced the number of workers to half its former level) | The new machinery was introduced in an effort to cut labour costs. | Your speech is too long – it needs cutting. 8 [T] to put (a film or recording) into completed form by rearranging it, removing unwanted parts etc; EDIT TO STOP OR INTERRUPT SOMETHING 9 [T(OFF)] to interrupt (a supply of gas, electricity etc): The electricity was cut (off) for two hours yesterday. 10 [I] to stop photographing a scene when making a film: 'Cut!' shouted the director. OTHER MEANINGS 11 [T] to grow (a tooth): Our baby's just cutting her first teeth, so she cries a lot. 12 [T] to hurt the feelings of, especially by saying something nasty: His joke cut me deeply. | a cutting remark 13 [T] infml to be intentionally absent from (a class, school etc): to cut a lecture 14 [i;T] to divide (a pile of playing cards) in two before starting to play 15 [T] to cross: The line AC is cut by line PQ at point Z. | A path had been worn in the grass where people had cut the corner. (=gone across instead of round the edge) 16 [T] (in some sports, such as GOLF or cricket) to make (a ball) spin by hitting it with a downward movement 17 [T] infml to make (a RECORD): They cut their first single in 1992. FIXED PHRASES 18 [I(with)] to DILUTE; weaken the purity of: The heroin was cut with powdered milk. 19 cut a figure old-fash to be impressive because of your appearance: Sir Giles cut quite a figure (=looked very fine) at the ball last night. 20 cut and run slang, rather old-fash to escape by running 21 cut a swath through to destroy the main part of: The storm cut a swath through the town. 22 cut both/two ways (of an action) to have disadvantages as well as advantages for both people or both sides 23 cut corners to do something in a less than perfect way in order to save time, money etc 24 cut it fine to leave yourself very little time, money etc to do what is needed 25 cut no ice/not much ice (with) to have little or no effect or influence (on someone), especially to fail to impress (someone): Your empty promises won't cut any ice with her. 26 cut one's coat according to one's cloth BrE to avoid spending more than you earn 27 cut one's losses to stop taking part in a failing business, firm etc before you lose too much money 28 cut one's teeth on/in (something) to gain one's first experience from doing (something) 29 cut someone (dead) to refuse to recognize someone you know, in order to be rude: I saw Jane in town today but she cut me dead. 30 cut someone some slack to give someone a little freedom to do as they wish 31 cut something short to bring something to an end suddenly and before the proper time: The accident forced them to cut their holiday short/to cut short their holiday. | Well to cut a long story short (=without telling you all the details) we finally reached London at four in the morning. 32 cut the ground from under/beneath someone's feet to destroy someone's chances of success by taking their ideas or acting before them: They cut the ground from under my feet by printing a story on the same subject the week before mine. 33 cut up rough BrE infml to become (violently) angry: When the policewoman stopped the car, its driver cut up rough and tried to hit her.