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Glite Dictionary
customshouse

customshouse

1 8.8
A government building where officials check goods, collect taxes, and allow ships into a country
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌstəmzˌhaʊs/
  • Formal
translation icon : aduana
  • The customshouse handles all the paperwork necessary for goods entering the port.

Examples

  • Montreal was stunned by the daring predawn robbery... of the old city's historic customshouse.

    The Score (2001)

  • I need engineering pass codes for the customshouse.

    The Score (2001)

  • It's in the Montreal Customshouse.

    The Score (2001)

  • " Engineering codes for the customshouse basement?"

    The Score (2001)

  • The basement in the customshouse... is the most secure lockup in eastern Canada.

    The Score (2001)

  • I'm Max's guy in the customshouse.

    The Score (2001)

  • What customshouse?

    The Score (2001)

  • The merchant went to the customshouse to pay the import duties on his shipment.

  • Before entering the country, the ship had to be inspected at the customshouse.

Synonyms

customhouse
vscustomshouse
  • Archaic
8.3

A government building where officials check goods and collect taxes when they enter or leave a country

has the same meaning but is written with a different spelling form

How Big

Customs Service
  • Formal
3 3.8
customshouse
  • Formal
1 8.8
checkpoint
151 3.4

Surface Forms

customshouse singular
customshouses plural

Morphology

customshouse = custom + house (semi-transparent) = custom + house

While 'custom' and 'house' are clear, the specific meaning of a government building for customs is specialized.

Etymology

Customshouse is simply the word customs ('taxes on goods') plus house ('building'). It was the building where officers checked ships and collected those taxes, so the name tells you exactly what happened there.