Obs. Forms: 1 cyst, 3– cust (ü). [In form identical with OE. cyst choice, excellence, virtue, etc., from custi- = OS. cust (MDu. cust, Du. kust), OHG. chust, (Goth. ga-kusts):—OTeut. *kusti-z fem. abstr., f. kus- weak grade of keusan to taste, prove, choose.
Parallel masc. forms are Gothic kustu-s, and ON. kostr: see COST sb.1 Found only in OE. and early southern ME.: its Midland and mod. Eng. form would have been kyst, kist. But in the midl. dialect its place was supplied by COST sb.1 from Norse, to which also cust seems to have been entirely conformed in sense, so that it may be viewed simply as the southern form of cost.]
1. Choice, action or faculty of choosing.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 1919 (Gr.). Ic ðe cyst abead.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. lxiv. 4 (Thorpe). Se þe hine ece God cystum ʓeceoseð.
2. Quality, character, manner, way; = COST sb.1
c. 1205. Lay., 12020. Heo i-cneowen wel a þan wolcne þas wederes custes. Ibid., 20324. Swa nauere na mon nuste Of Baldulfes custe [c. 1275 Of Baldolf his custes].
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 9. And eiþer seide of oþres custe Þat alre worste þat hi wuste. Ibid., 1398. Sum arist of þe flesches luste, And sum of þe gostes custe.
a. 1250. Prov. Alfred, 252, in O. E. Misc., 119. Ac leorne hire custe [a. 1275 Her þu hire costes cuþe].
