customs

Pluralcustoms (some meanings)

1. 1
   noununcountable

   The part of a government that collects taxes on things brought into a country.

   Like a guard at a country's door who checks what comes in and collects the fees.

   Customs seized the packages because the paperwork was incomplete.

   She works for customs at the international airport.

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The set of checks travelers go through at a border when entering a country.

   Like waiting in line to have your bags checked before you can leave the airport.

   We cleared customs in under ten minutes after our flight landed.

   Going through customs took longer because they searched every bag.

3. 3
   noun

   Plural of custom. Use this form when you mean more than one habit or tradition.

   Local customs vary widely from one village to the next.

   The festival preserves customs that go back many centuries.

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable or uncountableplural

   Money a government charges on goods brought into or sent out of a country.

   Like a fee you pay at the gate when you bring things into a country.

   The importer paid several thousand dollars in customs before the shipment was released.

   High customs on foreign cars made them expensive for local buyers.

   Similarduties, tariffs, levies

   Note
5. 5
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The place at a border where officers check the things people are bringing in.

   Like a booth at the border where someone looks at what you are carrying.

   Please proceed to customs with your luggage and declaration form.

   The line at customs stretched all the way back to the baggage claim.

   Note

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