26984 words

customs

6 definitions • 16 examples
1
the place at a port, airport, or border where travellers' bags are looked at to find out if any goods are being carried illegally:

Examples:

go through customs It took us ages to go through customs.
clear customs Eddie texted me to say he'd cleared customs and collected his luggage.
They had to wait twenty minutes before getting through customs.
The idea is to help frequent fliers pass more quickly through customs.
For once, we breezed through customs.
My partner with a German passport sailed through customs.
We were waved through customs.
2
money paid to the government when you take particular goods from one country to another
3
the place at a port, airport, or border where travelers’ bags are examined for illegal or taxable goods:

Examples:

customs officials
It took us ages to get through customs when we got back from Italy.
4
the government department that deals with taxes on goods coming into and leaving a country:

Examples:

UK customs say the truck was carrying drugs with a street value of over £3m.
She works for US Customs.
5
the place at an airport, port, or border where goods that people bring into a country are examined to make sure they are legal and whether any tax should be paid on them:

Examples:

A man who was stopped at customs was found to have a quantity of plastic explosives in his case.
A small wooden hut at the border crossing served as both passport control and customs.
go through customs You will need to go through customs after you have retrieved your baggage.
6
taxes that are paid on goods that are brought into a country:

Examples:

You don't have to pay customs on any alcohol or tobacco brought for your own consumption in another EU country.

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