habit


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hab·it

 (hăb′ĭt)
n.
1.
a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition: made a habit of going to bed early.
b. An established disposition of the mind or character: a pessimistic habit.
c. Customary manner or practice: an early riser by habit.
d. An addiction, especially to a narcotic drug.
2. Characteristic appearance, form, or manner of growth, especially of a plant or crystal: "The habit of an apple tree is fine for the small garden" (Robert Dash).
3.
a. A distinctive set of clothing or style of dressing, especially of a religious order.
b. A riding habit.
4. Archaic Physical constitution.
tr.v. hab·it·ed, hab·it·ing, hab·its
1. To clothe; dress.
2. To clothe in a habit, especially a nun's habit.

[Middle English, clothing, from Old French, clothing, behavior, custom, from Latin habitus, from past participle of habēre, to have; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: habit, practice, custom, wont
These nouns denote patterns of behavior established by continual repetition. Habit applies to a behavior or practice so ingrained that it is often done without conscious thought: "Habit rules the unreflecting herd" (William Wordsworth).
Practice denotes an often chosen pattern of individual or group behavior: "You will find it a very good practice always to verify your references, sir" (Martin Joseph Routh).
Custom is behavior as established by long practice and especially by accepted conventions: "No written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion" (Carrie Chapman Catt).
Wont refers to a customary and distinctive practice: "Miss Roxy sat bolt upright, as was her wont" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

habit

(ˈhæbɪt)
n
1. a tendency or disposition to act in a particular way
2. established custom, usual practice, etc
3. (Psychology) psychol a learned behavioural response that has become associated with a particular situation, esp one frequently repeated
4. mental disposition or attitude: a good working habit of mind.
5.
a. a practice or substance to which a person is addicted: drink has become a habit with him.
b. the state of being dependent on something, esp a drug
6. (Biology) botany zoology the method of growth, type of existence, behaviour, or general appearance of a plant or animal: a climbing habit; a burrowing habit.
7. (Clothing & Fashion) the customary apparel of a particular occupation, rank, etc, now esp the costume of a nun or monk
8. (Clothing & Fashion) Also called: riding habit a woman's riding dress
9. (Chemistry) crystallog short for crystal habit
vb (tr)
10. (Clothing & Fashion) to clothe
11. an archaic word for inhabit, habituate
[C13: from Latin habitus custom, from habēre to have]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hab•it

(ˈhæb ɪt)

n.
1. an acquired pattern of behavior that has become almost involuntary as a result of frequent repetition.
2. customary practice or use.
3. a particular practice, custom, or usage: the habit of shaking hands.
4. a dominant or regular character or tendency: a habit of criticizing everyone.
6. mental character or disposition.
7. characteristic bodily or physical condition.
8. the characteristic crystalline form of a mineral.
9. garb of a particular rank, profession, religious order, etc.; dress: a monk's habit.
10. the special attire worn by a person for horseback riding.
v.t.
11. to clothe; array; attire.
[1175–1225; Middle English abit < Old French < Latin habitus state, style, practice =habi-, variant s. of habēre to have, hold + -tus suffix of v. action]
syn: See custom.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

hab·it

(hăb′ĭt)
1. The characteristic shape of a crystal: the cubic habit of pyrite.
2. The characteristic manner of growth of a plant: a low plant with a creeping habit.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Habit

 

See Also: BEHAVIOR, FLEXIBILITY/INFLEXIBILITY

  1. An annoying habit … like the habit of people who take nonfattening sweeteners in their coffee, and order chocolate mousse —Marilyn Sharp
  2. As the snow flakes gather, so our habits are formed —Jeremy Bentham
  3. A bad custom is like a good cake, better broken than kept —Randle Cotgrave

    The word ‘custom’ is often interchanged with ‘habit.’

  4. Bad habits are like a comfortable bed; easy to get into, but hard to get out of —Rev. Watson C. Blake
  5. The customs and fashions of men change like leaves on the bough, some of which go and others come —Alighieri Dante
  6. (I like to) go tick-ticking along like a clock —Edith Wharton
  7. Habit, like a crane, will bow its neck and dip its pulleyed cable, gathering me … into the daylight —Harold Monro
  8. (All will be well, we say; it is) a habit, like the rising of the sun —Edna St. Vincent Millay
  9. The habit (of command) was already fitting him like a tailored suit —Ken Follett
  10. Kept on along the narrow track of habit, like a traveler; climbing a road in a fog —Edith Wharton
  11. Set in his ways as a chunk of concrete —F. Hopkinson Smith
  12. Set in one’s way, as elderly apple trees —Allison Lurie
  13. Shook my wild habits from me … like a worn-out cloak —O. Henry
  14. Take for granted, like running water —Anon
  15. Used to it, like a wart —Jonathan Kellerman
  16. Using drugs like table salt —Jimmy Breslin
  17. We are bagged in habit like clothes back from the cleaners —Marge Piercy
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

habit

custom
1. 'habit'

A habit is something that a person does often or regularly.

He had a nervous habit of biting his nails.
Try to get out of the habit of adding unnecessary salt in cooking.
2. 'custom'

A custom is something that people in a society do at a particular time of year or in a particular situation.

It is the custom to take chocolates or fruit when visiting a patient in hospital.
My wife likes all the old English customs.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

habit


Past participle: habited
Gerund: habiting

Imperative
habit
habit
Present
I habit
you habit
he/she/it habits
we habit
you habit
they habit
Preterite
I habited
you habited
he/she/it habited
we habited
you habited
they habited
Present Continuous
I am habiting
you are habiting
he/she/it is habiting
we are habiting
you are habiting
they are habiting
Present Perfect
I have habited
you have habited
he/she/it has habited
we have habited
you have habited
they have habited
Past Continuous
I was habiting
you were habiting
he/she/it was habiting
we were habiting
you were habiting
they were habiting
Past Perfect
I had habited
you had habited
he/she/it had habited
we had habited
you had habited
they had habited
Future
I will habit
you will habit
he/she/it will habit
we will habit
you will habit
they will habit
Future Perfect
I will have habited
you will have habited
he/she/it will have habited
we will have habited
you will have habited
they will have habited
Future Continuous
I will be habiting
you will be habiting
he/she/it will be habiting
we will be habiting
you will be habiting
they will be habiting
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been habiting
you have been habiting
he/she/it has been habiting
we have been habiting
you have been habiting
they have been habiting
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been habiting
you will have been habiting
he/she/it will have been habiting
we will have been habiting
you will have been habiting
they will have been habiting
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been habiting
you had been habiting
he/she/it had been habiting
we had been habiting
you had been habiting
they had been habiting
Conditional
I would habit
you would habit
he/she/it would habit
we would habit
you would habit
they would habit
Past Conditional
I would have habited
you would have habited
he/she/it would have habited
we would have habited
you would have habited
they would have habited
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.habit - an established customhabit - an established custom; "it was their habit to dine at 7 every evening"
custom, tradition - a specific practice of long standing
2.habit - (psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition; "owls have nocturnal habits"; "she had a habit twirling the ends of her hair"; "long use had hardened him to it"
custom, usage, usance - accepted or habitual practice
ritual - stereotyped behavior
second nature - acquired behavior that is practiced so long it seems innate
psychological science, psychology - the science of mental life
cleanliness - the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections
3.habit - a distinctive attire worn by a member of a religious order
attire, garb, dress - clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion; "formal attire"; "battle dress"
frock - a habit worn by clerics
monastic habit - a long loose habit worn by monks in a monastery
nun's habit - a long loose habit worn by nuns in a convent
faith, religion, religious belief - a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality"
4.habit - the general form or mode of growth (especially of a plant or crystal); "a shrub of spreading habit"
growing, growth, ontogenesis, ontogeny, maturation, development - (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level; "he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children"
5.habit - attire that is typically worn by a horseback rider (especially a woman's attire)habit - attire that is typically worn by a horseback rider (especially a woman's attire)
attire, garb, dress - clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion; "formal attire"; "battle dress"
jodhpur breeches, jodhpurs, riding breeches - flared trousers ending at the calves; worn with riding boots
riding boot - a boot without laces that is worn for riding horses; part of a riding habit
6.habit - excessive use of drugshabit - excessive use of drugs    
misuse, abuse - improper or excessive use; "alcohol abuse"; "the abuse of public funds"
alcohol abuse, alcoholic abuse, alcoholism abuse - excessive use of alcohol and alcoholic drinks
Verb1.habit - put a habit on
apparel, clothe, enclothe, garb, garment, raiment, tog, habilitate, fit out, dress - provide with clothes or put clothes on; "Parents must feed and dress their child"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

habit

noun
1. mannerism, custom, way, practice, manner, characteristic, tendency, quirk, propensity, foible, proclivity He has an endearing habit of licking his lips.
2. custom, rule, practice, tradition, routine, convention, mode, usage, wont, second nature It had become a habit with her to annoy him.
3. addiction, weakness, obsession, dependence, compulsion, fixation After twenty years as a chain smoker, he has given up the habit.
4. dress, costume, garment, apparel, garb, habiliment, riding dress She emerged having changed into her riding habit.
habit of mind disposition, character, nature, make-up, constitution, frame of mind In accent, mannerism and habit of mind he appeared East European.
Quotations
"Habit is a great deadener" [Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot]
"It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks" [William Camden Remains Concerning Britain]
"Habit with him was all the test of truth,"
"`It must be right; I've done it from my youth.'" [George Crabbe The Borough]
"The habits of life form the soul, and the soul forms the countenance" [Honoré De Balzac The Abbé Birotteau]
"The regularity of a habit is generally in proportion to its absurdity" [Marcel Proust Remembrance of Things Past]
Proverbs
"Old habits die hard"
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

habit

noun
1. A habitual way of behaving:
2. The physical or constitutional characteristics of a person:
3. Clothing worn by members of a religious order:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بِسَبَب العادَهعادَةعادَهلِباس
zvykhávnávykšat
vaneordensdragtsædvane
kutimovesto
tapaasu
navika
ávani, vanibúningur, klæîi
버릇습관
atpratintiįpratimasiš įpročio
ieradumsparadumstērps
obicei
habit
navada
vana
ความเคยชิน
alışkanlıkhuypapaz elbisesiâdet
thói quen

habit

[ˈhæbɪt] N
1. (= customary behaviour) → costumbre f
a bad habitun vicio, una mala costumbre
to get into the habit of doing sthacostumbrarse a hacer algo
to get out of the habit of doing sthperder la costumbre de hacer algo
to have a habit (= drugs) → drogarse habitualmente
to be in the habit of doing sthtener la costumbre de hacer algo, acostumbrar or soler hacer algo
to make a habit of doing sthacostumbrarse a hacer algo
we mustn't make a habit of arriving lateno debemos acostumbrarnos a llegar tarde
you can phone me at work as long as you don't make a habit of itpuedes llamarme al trabajo mientras no lo tomes por costumbre
let's hope he doesn't make a habit of itesperamos que no siga haciéndolo
I always make a habit of arriving earlytengo por norma or por costumbre llegar siempre pronto
out of habitpor costumbre
out of sheer habitpor pura costumbre
2. (= dress) [of monk] → hábito m; (= riding habit) → traje m de montar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

habit

[ˈhæbɪt] n
(= customary way of doing things) → habitude f
a bad habit → une mauvaise habitude
eating habits → habitudes alimentaires
a drug habit → une toxicomanie
to have a drug habit → être toxicomane
a cocaine habit → une dépendance à la cocaïne
to have a cocaine habit → être cocaïnomane
to get into the habit of doing sth → prendre l'habitude de faire qch
to get out of the habit of doing sth → perdre l'habitude de faire qch
to be in the habit of doing sth → avoir pour habitude de faire qch, avoir l'habitude de faire qch
to have a habit of doing sth → avoir pour habitude de faire qch, avoir l'habitude de faire qch
to do sth out of habit → faire qch par habitude
to make a habit of sth
Don't make a habit of it! → N'en fais pas une habitude!
to be a creature of habit → avoir ses petites habitudes
habit of mind → tournure f d'esprit
see also kick
(= costume) [monk, nun] → habit m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

habit

n
Gewohnheit f; (esp undesirable) → (An)gewohnheit f; habit of mindDenkweise f; to be in the habit of doing somethingdie Angewohnheit haben, etw zu tun, etw gewöhnlich tun; … as was his habit… wie es seine Gewohnheit war; it became a habites wurde zur Gewohnheit; out of (sheer) habitaus (reiner) Gewohnheit, (rein) gewohnheitsmäßig; his life was ruled by habitsein Leben war von seinen Gewohnheiten bestimmt; from (force of) habitaus Gewohnheit; she was a creature of habitsie war ein Gewohnheitstier (inf)or Gewohnheitsmensch; I don’t make a habit of inviting strangers in(für) gewöhnlich bitte ich Fremde nicht herein; don’t make a habit of itlassen Sie (→ sich dat) → das nicht zur Gewohnheit werden; to get into/to get somebody into the habit of doing somethingsich/jdm angewöhnen, etw zu tun; to get or fall into bad habitsin schlechte Gewohnheiten verfallen; to get out of/to get somebody out of the habit of doing somethingsich/jdm abgewöhnen, etw zu tun; you must get out of the habit of biting your nailsdu musst dir das Nägelkauen abgewöhnen; to have a habit of doing somethingdie Angewohnheit haben, etw zu tun; he has a strange habit of staring at youer hat die merkwürdige Art, einen anzustarren; history has a habit of repeating itselfes kommt oft vor, dass die Geschichte sich wiederholt
(= addiction)Sucht f; to have a cocaine habitkokainsüchtig sein
(= costume)Gewand nt; (esp monk’s) → Habit nt or m; (riding) habitReitkleid nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

habit

[ˈhæbɪt] n
a. (customary behaviour, individual habit) → abitudine f
a bad habit → una brutta or cattiva abitudine
to be in the habit of doing sth → avere l'abitudine di fare qc
to fall into bad habits → prendere delle cattive abitudini
to get out of/into the habit of doing sth → perdere/prendere l'abitudine di fare qc
to get sb into the habit of doing sth → abituare qn a fare qc
out of sheer habit → solo per abitudine
don't make a habit of it! → che non diventi un'abitudine!
b. (dress, of monk, nun) → tonaca; (riding habit) → costume m da amazzone
c. (fam) (addiction) → assuefazione
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

habit

(ˈhӕbit) noun
1. something which a person does usually or regularly. the habit of going for a walk before bed; an irritating habit of interrupting.
2. a tendency to do the same things that one has always done. I did it out of habit.
3. clothes. a monk's habit.
habitual (həˈbitjuəl) adjective
1. having a habit of doing, being etc (something). He's a habitual drunkard.
2. done etc regularly. He took his habitual walk before bed.
habitually (həˈbitjuəli) adverb
from force of habit
because one is used to doing (something). I took the cigarette from force of habit.
get (someone) into the habit of, get (someone) out of the habit of
to make (a person) start or stop doing (something) as a habit. I wish I could get out of the habit of biting my nails; You must get your children into the habit of cleaning their teeth.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

habit

عادَة zvyk vane Gewohnheit συνήθεια hábito tapa habitude navika abitudine 습관 gewoonte vane zwyczaj hábito привычка vana ความเคยชิน alışkanlık thói quen 习惯
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

hab·it

n. hábito, uso, costumbre; adicción al uso de una droga o bebida;
v.
to be in the ___ oftener la costumbre de; acostumbrarse a; habituarse;
pop. [drugs] to kick the ___dejar la adicción; curarse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

habit

n hábito, costumbre f; bad — vicio, mal hábito; eating habits hábitos alimenticios, hábitos de comer
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
One sort of quality let us call 'habit' or 'disposition'.
So it is with all other dispositions also, unless through lapse of time a disposition has itself become inveterate and almost impossible to dislodge: in which case we should perhaps go so far as to call it a habit.
The one child has acquired the habit of saying "six times nine is fifty-four"; the other has not.
We have some evidence of this gradation of habit; for, as Schiodte remarks, 'animals not far remote from ordinary forms, prepare the transition from light to darkness.
niger, the cuckoos are the only birds which can be called truly parasitical; namely, such as "fasten themselves, as it were, on another living animal, whose animal heat brings their young into life, whose food they live upon, and whose death would cause theirs during the period of infancy." It is remarkable that some of the species, but not all, both of the Cuckoo and Molothrus, should agree in this one strange habit of their parasitical propagation, whilst opposed to each other in almost every other habit: the molothrus, like our starling, is eminently sociable, and lives on the open plains without art or disguise: the cuckoo, as every one knows, is a singularly shy bird; it frequents the most retired thickets, and feeds on fruit and caterpillars.
I grieve to state so distressing a fact, but the inhabitants of Typee were in the habit of devouring fish much in the same way that a civilized being would eat a radish, and without any more previous preparation.
(which indeed are arts of state, and arts of life, as Tacitus well calleth them), to him, a habit of dissimulation is a hinderance and a poorness.
My bride looked charmingly in a green silk calash and riding habit of pelisse cloth; and whenever her red lips parted with a smile, each tooth appeared like an inestimable pearl.
Now whoever will examine into the nature of animals, and also observe those people who are very desirous their children should acquire a warlike habit, will find that they feed them chiefly with milk, as being best accommodated to their bodies, but without wine, to prevent any distempers: those motions also which are natural to their age are very serviceable; and to prevent any of their limbs from being crooked, on account of their extreme ductility, some people even now use particular machines that their bodies may not be distorted.
The sense of security more frequently springs from habit than from conviction, and for this reason it often subsists after such a change in the conditions as might have been expected to suggest alarm.
"Ginger has a bad habit of biting and snapping; that is why they call her Ginger, and when she was in the loose box she used to snap very much.
"Ay, let me see the heart--it will at once determine the character of the animal-- certes this is not the cor--ay, sure enough it is--the animal must be of the order belluae, from its obese habits!"