customhouse

noun

cus·​tom·​house ˈkə-stəm-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce customhouse (audio)
variants or less commonly customshouse
: a building where customs and duties are paid or collected and where vessels are entered and cleared

Examples of customhouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1849, three hundred and twenty-five Chinese passed through San Francisco’s customhouse. Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021 In true Latrobian style, the new customhouse was made of red brick and was adorned with white columns and green shutters. Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 Nov. 2020 In 1809, work was completed on his plans for a U.S. customhouse in the city. Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 Nov. 2020 Liu and the other individual defendants face up to 465 years in prison if convicted on all 24 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 31 July 2019 Photographs seem to show one beside the customhouse near Tijuana and another along the border between Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Mexico. Rachel St. John, Smithsonian, 26 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'customhouse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of customhouse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near customhouse

Cite this Entry

“Customhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/customhouse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

customhouse

noun
cus·​tom·​house ˈkəs-təm-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce customhouse (audio)
variants also customshouse
: a building where customs are paid or collected and where ships are entered and cleared at a port

More from Merriam-Webster on customhouse

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