custom
CUSTOM is a six-letter word worth 10 Scrabble points; it means a habitual practice or a customary way of behaving.
Noun 4 meanings
Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.
“Much forbidden by elder custom is accepted today.”
Habitual buying of goods from one same vendor.
“Thank you for your custom.”
Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent. Compare prescription.
Traditional beliefs or rituals.
“The Ancient Egyptian culture had many distinctive and interesting beliefs and customs; one custom was the mummification of the dead.”
Adjective 3 meanings
Made or done in a way adjusted to fit the needs of a particular person or group (e.g., customer, health care patient, do-it-yourselfer), and thus specialized and, in some cases, unique.
“Near-synonyms: custom-made, tailored, tailor-made, custom-built, purpose-built; see also Thesaurus:custom-made”
Own, personal, not standard or premade.
“We can embroider a wide range of ready designs or a custom logo.”
Done on a for-hire basis, as contrasted with being done only for oneself.
“custom threshing”
Etymology
PIE word *ḱóm PIE word *swé From Middle English custume, borrowed from Anglo-Norman custume, inherited from Latin consuētūdinem, a noun derived from cōnsuēscō, from con- (“with”) + suēscō (“become used or accustomed to”). Displaced native Old English ġewuna and sidu. Doublet of costume, consuetude, and kastom.
Similar and opposite words
Custom names a habitual way of acting, a repeated practice, or a tradition accepted through long use, and Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE all include it. Its six tiles total 10 Scrabble points before any board premiums, with C and M carrying most of that value. The rack-play twist: its letters make no anagrams, and its only one-letter neighbor is CUSTOS.
CUSTOM at a glance
- CUSTOM is a six-letter entry in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE.
- Its face-value Scrabble total is 10 points.
- Rearranging all six letters produces no anagrams.
- CUSTOS is its sole one-letter neighbor.
What does CUSTOM mean, and how is it scored?
Custom means a habitual practice or a way of behaving shared by a group. It can also mean repeatedly buying from the same vendor, while the long-established sense describes a practice treated as unwritten law. In everyday writing, “a custom” often means a social tradition; “customary” describes what people usually do.
The Scrabble total comes from C and M at 3 points each, plus U, S, T, and O at 1 point apiece. That adds to 10 before premiums. The word's value is spread across the rack, so a bonus square on C or M matters more than one on a single-point tile.
Which words are closest to CUSTOM?
CUSTOS is the only word one letter away: it keeps C, U, S, T, and O in place, then changes the final M to S. That makes it a precise spelling neighbor, not an anagram. CUSTOM itself has no anagrams, so rearranging its tiles will not produce another word.
The rhyme set contains 12 entries, including bottom, atom, and phantom. These share the -tom ending pattern with CUSTOM, giving you several recognizable sound matches alongside less familiar options. For a rack search, start with the exact neighbor; for a writing clue, try the more familiar rhyme examples first.
Rhymes with custom
All rhymes- BOTTOM10
- PHANTOM14
- ATOM6
- SYMPTOM16
- KRATOM12
- DIATOM9
- ACCUSTOM14
- FANTOM11
- HETEROATOM15
- CHRISTOM15
- ANTIATOM10
- DISACCUSTOM18
One letter away
- CUSTOS8
Questions people ask
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