Jailer, take him to thy custody.
Shak.
3. State of being guarded and watched to prevent escape; restraint of liberty; confinement; imprisonment.
What pease will be given
To us enslaved, but custody severe,
And stripes and arbitrary punishment?
Milton.
Cus"tom (kŭs"tŭm), n. [OF. custume, costume, Anglo-Norman coustome, F. coutume, fr. (assumed) LL. consuetumen custom, habit, fr. L. consuetudo, - dinis, fr. consuescere to accustom, verb inchoative fr. consuere to be accustomed; con- + suere to be accustomed, prob. originally, to make one's own, fr. the root of suus one's own; akin to E. so, adv. Cf. Consuetude, Costume.]
1. Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living.
And teach customs which are not lawful.
Acts xvi. 21.
Moved beyond his custom, Gama said.
Tennyson.
A custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
Shak.
2. Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc., for making purchases or giving orders; business support.
Let him have your custom, but not your votes.
Addison.
3. (Law) Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.
&fist; Usage is a fact. Custom is a law. There can be no custom without usage, though there may be usage without custom. Wharton.