Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian kest choice, preference, option, object of value, Middle Dutch cust choice, preference, wish (Dutch kust ), Old Saxon kust choice, decision, Old High German chust , kust state, nature, demeanour, estimation, judgement, attempt, trial, virtue (Middle High German kust estimation, examination, test, result, German regional (Switzerland) chust sense of taste), and also (with prefix) Gothic gakusts testing, proof, ultimately < the same Germanic base as cost n.² In Old English a strong feminine (i -stem) cyst (with i-mutation of the stem vowel), in contrast to strong masculine cost cost n.², which ultimately shows the reflex of a u -stem noun derived from the same Germanic base and apparently represents a borrowing into English from early Scandinavian (see discussion at cost n.²). Sense 4 may have arisen by influence of cost n.², although a natural development by semantic weakening of sense 3a is also possible.

Etymology: Origin unknown. Perhaps compare custrel n., custron n., although the nature of any relationship is unclear.