customer
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
From Middle English customere, custommere, 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.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌstəmə/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkʌstəmɚ/
Noun
customer (plural customers)
- (obsolete) A habitual patron, regular purchaser, returning client; one who has a custom of buying from a particular business.
- A patron, a client; one 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.
- (informal) A person, especially one engaging in some sort of interaction with others.
- a cool customer, a tough customer, an ugly customer
- 1971, Herman Wouk, chapter 52, in The Winds of War:
- 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."
- 2020 January 2, Philip Haigh, “Ten eventful years and plenty of talking points”, in Rail, page 54:
- 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.
- (India, historical) A native official who exacted customs duties.
- 1609, Danvers, Letters, i. 25; and comp. Foster, ibid. ii. 225
- His houses […] are seized on by the Customer.
- 1615, Sir T. Roe, Hak. Soc. i. 44:
- The Customer should come and visit them.
- 1682, Hedges, Diary [Hak. Soc. i. 33]
- The several affronts, insolences, and abuses dayly put upon us by Boolchund, our chief Customer
- 1609, Danvers, Letters, i. 25; and comp. Foster, ibid. ii. 225
Derived terms
- 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 success
- customer support
- customer-to-customer
- investomer
- multicustomer
- noncustomer
- promote to customer
- pure customer
- the customer is always right
- ugly customer
Related terms
Terms etymologically related to customer
Translations
(obsolete) habitual patron, regular purchaser, returning client
one who purchases or receives a product or service
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Anagrams
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