English Explanatory Dictionary

customer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A habitual patron, regular purchaser, returning client; a person or company who has a custom of buying from a particular business.
  2. A patron, a client; a person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant, or intends to do so.
  3. A person, especially one engaging in some sort of interaction with others.
  4. A native official who exacted customs duties.

Pronunciation

/ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-customer.wav /ˈkʌs.tə.mɚ/ /ˈkɐs.tə.mə/

Word forms

customer customers

Etymology

From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.

Related words

consuetude costumal costume custom customary customization customize customs

Derived words

custie customer account customer base customer care customercentric customer experience customerize customerless customerlike customer-oriented customer relationship customer research customer resistance customer service customership customer site customer success customer success manager customer support customer-to-customer entrepreneurial customer investomer multicustomer noncustomer promote to customer pure customer the customer is always right ugly customer
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