1815, "to say bad words, use profane language," a vulgar pronunciation of curse (v.). Transitive sense of "to curse, swear at" is by 1838. Related: Cussed; cussing. To cuss (someone) out is attested by 1881.

mid-14c., crustade, "meat or fruit pie, any dish baked in a crust" from Anglo-French croustade (Modern French coutarde), from Old Provençal croustado "fruit tart," literally "something covered with crust," from crosta "crust," from Latin crusta "rind, crust, shell, bark" (from PIE root *kreus- "to begin to freeze, form a crust").

In Middle English also crustard, custade, etc. Meaning shifted c. 1600 to "compound of eggs and milk, sweetened and baked or boiled." The spelling change (by mid-15c.) is perhaps by influence of mustard. OED notes that custard-pie (by 1825) was "commonly used as a missile in broad comedy."

1772, "relating to or of the nature of custody or guardianship," from custody (Latin custodia) + -al (1). It is in French by 1752.

1781, "one who has the care or custody of anything" (a library, a lunatic, etc.), from custody (Latin custodia) + -an. In this sense Middle English had custode (late 14c.), custodier (late 15c.). As "janitor," by 1944, American English, short for custodian-janitor (by 1899). Related: Custodianship.

mid-15c., "a keeping, a guarding, safe-keeping, protection, defense," from Latin custodia "guarding, watching, keeping," also "prison," from custos (genitive custodis) "guardian, keeper, protector," from PIE root *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal." Meaning "restraint of liberty, confinement" is from 1580s.

c. 1200, custume, "habitual practice," either of an individual or a nation or community, from Old French costume "custom, habit, practice; clothes, dress" (12c., Modern French coutume), from Vulgar Latin *consuetumen, from Latin consuetudinem (nominative consuetudo) "habit, usage, way, practice, tradition, familiarity," from consuetus, past participle of consuescere "accustom," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + suescere "become used to, accustom oneself," related to sui, genitive of suus "oneself," from PIE *swe- "oneself" (see idiom).

Custom implies continued volition, the choice to keep doing what one has done; as compared with manner and fashion, it implies a good deal of permanence. [Century Dictionary]

A doublet of costume. An Old English word for it was þeaw. Meaning "the practice of buying goods at some particular place" is from 1590s. Sense of a "regular" toll or tax on goods is early 14c. The native word here is toll (n.).

Custom-house "government office at a point of import and export for the collection of customs" is from late 15c. Customs "area at a seaport, airport, etc., where baggage is examined" is by 1921.

Old customs! Oh! I love the sound,

  However simple they may be:

Whate'er with time has sanction found,

  Is welcome, and is dear to me.

Pride grows above simplicity,

  And spurns it from her haughty mind,

And soon the poet's song will be

  The only refuge they can find.

[from "December," John Clare, 1827]

"made to measure or order, done or made for individual customers," by 1830, from custom (n.).

1520s, "liable to customs or dues;" c. 1600, "according to established usage, habitual," from Medieval Latin custumarius, from Latin consuetudinarius, from consuetitudinem (see custom (n.)). In Middle English it was a noun, "written collection of customs" of a manor or community. Earlier words for "according to established usage" were custumal (c. 1400, from Old French), custumable (c. 1300). Related: Customarily.

late 14c., custumer, "customs official, toll-gatherer;" c. 1400, "one who purchases goods or supplies, one who customarily buys from the same tradesman or guild," from Anglo-French custumer, Old French coustumier, from Medieval Latin custumarius "a toll-gatherer, tax-collector," literally "pertaining to a custom or customs," a contraction of Latin consuetudinarius, from consuetudo "habit, usage, practice, tradition" (see custom (n.)).

The more generalized meaning "a person with whom one has dealings" emerged 1540s; that of "a person to deal with" (usually with a defining adjective: tough, etc.) is by 1580s. In Shakespeare, the word also can mean "prostitute."

chiefly British English spelling of customize (q.v.); for spelling, see -ize. Related: Customised; customising; customisation.