customer
nounUK /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ · /ˈkʌs.tə.mɚ/
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.
Obsolete A habitual patron, regular purchaser, returning client; a person or company who has a custom of buying from a particular business.
A person or company who purchases or receives a product or service from a business or merchant or intends to do so.
- Every person who passes by is a potential customer.
- Airlines are the chief customers of the commercial divisions of large-aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer.
Informal A person, especially one engaging in some sort of interaction with others.
- a cool customer, a tough customer, an ugly customer
- Pug could just see Slote's pale face under his fur hat. "I don't agree with you on that. He's a pretty tough customer, Hopkins."1971, Herman Wouk, chapter 52, in The Winds of War:
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- This switch led to Philip Hammond becoming the Transport Secretary and he quickly proved to be a tricky customer, asking questions about rail spending and reining it back whenever possible.2020 January 2, Philip Haigh, “Ten eventful years and plenty of talking points”, in Rail, page 54:
India, Historical A native official who exacted customs duties.
- His houses […] are seized on by the Customer.1609, Danvers, Letters, i. 25; and comp. Foster, ibid. ii. 225
- The Customer should come and visit them.1615, Sir T. Roe, Hak. Soc. i. 44:
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- The several affronts, insolences, and abuses dayly put upon us by Boolchund, our chief Customer1682, Hedges, Diary [Hak. Soc. i. 33]
- Derived terms
29 terms
custie, customer account, customer base, customer car, 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- Related terms
- consuetude, costumal, costume, custom, customary, customization, customize, customs