customs
[plural noun]
duty, import charges, tariff, tax, toll

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English Thesaurus: terminal, runway, the tarmac, check-in (desk), departure lounge, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

customs noun

1. (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
   North American English uses a singular verb with customs in this meaning.
   Extra Examples:

   • ● We had to fill out customs forms on the plane.
   • ● We were waiting for the goods to receive customs clearance.
   Collocations: adjective

   • French
   • UK
   • US

   verb + customs

   • clear
   • go through
   • wave somebody through

   customs + noun

   • controls
   • regulations
   • duty

   preposition

   • at customs
   • through customs
2. 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 Examples:

   • ● 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
   Topics , ,
   Collocations: adjective

   • French
   • UK
   • US

   verb + customs

   • clear
   • go through
   • wave somebody through

   customs + noun

   • controls
   • regulations
   • duty

   preposition

   • at customs
   • through customs
3. 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

   These are all words for money that you have to pay to the government.

   • 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.

   Patterns

   • (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.
   Collocations: adjective

   • French
   • UK
   • US

   verb + customs

   • clear
   • go through
   • wave somebody through

   customs + noun

   • controls
   • regulations
   • duty

   preposition

   • 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’.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲

customs
noun
ADJ. French, UK, etc.
VERB + CUSTOMS clear, go through We cleared customs by five o'clock. You will have to declare these goods when you go through customs.
wave sb through We were waved through customs without a pause.
CUSTOMS + NOUN control/controls, regulations the removal of European customs controls
duty/duties We had to pay customs duties on the beer.
building, hall, post the customs post on the border
agent, man, officer, official, staff | authorities | formalities, procedures | declaration, document, documentation, form We had to fill out customs forms on the plane.
clearance We were waiting for the goods to receive customs clearance.
PREP. at ~ We got stopped and searched at the Italian customs.
through ~

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

terminal a big building where people wait to get onto planes:
The airline uses terminal 4.
Smoking is prohibited inside the terminal building.
runway a long hard surface on which aircraft land and take off:
The plane was taxiing along the runway.
the tarmac an area covered with tarmac outside airport buildings:
He stepped off the plane onto the tarmac.
check-in (desk) a place where you report your arrival at an airport
departure lounge the place where you wait until your plane is ready to leave
departure gate the place you go through to get on your plane:
Will passengers for flight BA670 please go to the departure gate.
baggage reclaim (also baggage claim) American English the place where you collect your cases and bags after a flight
immigration the place where officials check the documents of everyone entering the country:
Be prepared for long queues at immigration.
customs the place where your bags are checked for illegal goods when you enter a country:
We had our bags checked at customs.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲