Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: JAIL AND PUNISHMENT

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: custodia 'guarding', from custos 'person who guards'

custody

 noun
     
cus‧to‧dy [uncountable]
1SSC the right to take care of a child, given to one of their parents when they have divorced
custody of
He got custody of his son after the divorce.
The mother is usually awarded custody (=legally allowed to have custody).
a dispute over who should have custody of the children
The couple will retain joint custody (=they will both have custody) of their daughters.
Allen is fighting a bitter custody battle over his three children.
2SCJ when someone is kept in prison until they go to court, because the police think they have committed a crime:
The committee is looking at alternatives to custody.
in custody
the death of a man in custody
hold/keep somebody in custody
A man is being held in police custody in connection with the murder.
remand somebody in custody British English (=send someone to prison to wait until they go to court)
A man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a schoolgirl.
She was taken into custody as a suspect.
3 formal when someone is responsible for keeping and looking after something:
Managers are responsible for the safe custody and retention of records.
The collection of art books is now in the custody of the university.
Definition of custody from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic JAIL AND PUNISHMENT
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The JAIL AND PUNISHMENT
Word of the Day is:
custodial sentence

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