customhouse
noun
cus·tom·house
ˈkə-stəm-ˌhau̇s 
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
Trans-Atlantic traders also pointed out that customhouses in Prussia and Britain, staffed by professional civil servants, were four to five times more cost efficient than their American counterparts.
—
Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
In 1849, three hundred and twenty-five Chinese passed through San Francisco’s customhouse.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
In 1849, three hundred and twenty-five Chinese passed through San Francisco’s customhouse.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021
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
Cite this Entry
“Customhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/customhouse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
customhouse
noun
cus·tom·house
ˈkəs-təm-ˌhau̇s
variants
also customshouse
: a building where customs are paid or collected and where ships are entered and cleared at a port
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share