customs
noun /ˈkʌstəmz/
/ˈkʌstəmz/
[plural]- (usually Customs)(British English also Revenue and Customs)the government department that collects taxes on goods bought and sold and on goods brought into the country, and that checks what is brought in
- The Customs have seized large quantities of smuggled heroin.
- French Customs have arrested two men.
- a customs officer
Extra Examples- We had to fill out customs forms on the plane.
- We were waiting for the goods to receive customs clearance.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- French
- UK
- US
- …
- clear
- go through
- wave somebody through
- …
- controls
- regulations
- duty
- …
- at customs
- through customs
- the place at a port or an airport where your bags are checked as you come into a country
- to go through customs and passport control
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by airc2, Holidaysc2, Crime and punishmentc2- You will have to declare these goods when you go through customs.
- We were waved through customs without a pause.
- We got stopped and searched at the Italian customs.
- We cleared customs by five o'clock.
- We had to go through customs before we could leave the airport.
- the customs post on the border
- the removal of European customs controls
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- French
- UK
- US
- …
- clear
- go through
- wave somebody through
- …
- controls
- regulations
- duty
- …
- at customs
- through customs
- the taxes that must be paid to the government when goods are brought in from other countries
- You must pay customs on all imports of alcohol.
- customs duty/duties
Synonyms taxtax- duty
- customs
- tariff
- rates
- tax money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services:
- income tax
- tax cuts
- duty a tax that you pay on things that you buy, especially those that you bring into a country:
- The company has to pay customs duties on all imports.
- customs tax that is paid when goods are brought in from other countries
- tariff a tax that is paid on goods coming into or going out of a country, often in order to protect industry from cheap imports:
- A general tariff was imposed on foreign imports.
- rates (in Britain) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use, and in the past also paid by anyone who owned a house:
- Business rates are very high in the city centre.
- (a) tax/duty/tariff/rates on something
- to pay an amount of money in tax/duty/customs/rates
- to pay (a) tax/duty/customs/tariff/rates
- to collect taxes/duties/rates
- to increase/raise/reduce taxes/duty/tariffs/rates
- to cut taxes/duties/rates
- to impose a tax/duty/tariff
- to put a tax/duty on something
Extra Examples- Imports from non-EU countries are subject to customs duty of 20 per cent.
- We had to pay customs duties on the beer.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- French
- UK
- US
- …
- clear
- go through
- wave somebody through
- …
- controls
- regulations
- duty
- …
- at customs
- through customs
compare excise1
Word Originlate Middle English: originally in the singular, denoting a customary due paid to a ruler, later ‘duty charged on goods on their way to market’.