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Webster 1913 Edition

Habit

Hab′it

(hăb′ĭt)
Noun.
[OE.
habit
,
abit
, F.
habit
, fr. L.
habitus
state, appearance, dress, fr.
habere
to have, be in a condition; prob. akin to E.
have.
See
Have
, and cf.
Able
,
Binnacle
,
Debt
,
Due
,
Exhibit
,
Malady.
]
1.
The usual condition or state of a person or thing, either natural or acquired, regarded as something had, possessed, and firmly retained;
as, a religious
habit
; his
habit
is morose; elms have a spreading
habit
; esp., physical temperament or constitution;
as, a full
habit
of body
.
3.
Fixed or established custom; ordinary course of conduct; practice; usage; hence, prominently, the involuntary tendency or aptitude to perform certain actions which is acquired by their frequent repetition;
as,
habit
is second nature
; also, peculiar ways of acting; characteristic forms of behavior.
A man of very shy, retired
habits
.
W. Irving.
4.
Outward appearance; attire; dress; hence, a garment; esp., a closely fitting garment or dress worn by ladies;
as, a riding
habit
.
Costly thy
habit
as thy purse can buy.
Shakespeare
Syn. – Practice; mode; manner; way; custom; fashion.
–
Habit
,
Custom
. Habit is a disposition or tendency leading us to do easily, naturally, and with growing certainty, what we do often; custom is external, being habitual use or the frequent repetition of the same act. The two operate reciprocally on each other. The custom of giving produces a habit of liberality; habits of devotion promote the custom of going to church. Custom also supposes an act of the will, selecting given modes of procedure; habit is a law of our being, a kind of “second nature” which grows up within us.
How use doth breed a
habit
in a man!
Shakespeare
He who reigns . . . upheld by old repute,
Consent, or
custom
Milton.

Hab′it

(hăb′ĭt)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Habited
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Habiting
.]
[OE.
habiten
to dwell, F.
habiter
, fr. L.
habitare
to have frequently, to dwell, intens. fr.
habere
to have. See
Habit
,
Noun.
]
1.
To inhabit.
[Obs.]
In thilke places as they [birds]
habiten
.
Rom. of R.
2.
To dress; to clothe; to array.
They
habited
themselves like those rural deities.
Dryden.
3.
To accustom; to habituate.
[Obs.]
Chapman.

Webster 1828 Edition

Habit

HAB'IT

,
Noun.
[L. habitus, from habeo,to have to hold. See Have.]
1.
Garb; dress; clothes or garments in general.
The scenes are old, the habits are the same,
We wore last year.
There are among the statues, several of Venus,
in different habits.
2.
A coat worn by ladies over other garments.
3.
State of any thing; implying some continuance or permanence; temperament or particular state of a body, formed by nature or induced by extraneous circumstances; as a costive or lax habit of body; a sanguine habit.
4.
A disposition or condition of the mind or body acquired by custom or a frequent repetition of the same act. Habit is that which is held or retained, the effect of custom or frequent repetition. Hence we speak of good habits and bad habits.
Frequent drinking of spirits leads to a habit of intemperance. We should endeavor to correct evil habits by a change of practice. A great point in the education of children, is to prevent the formation of bad habits.
Habit of plants, the general form or appearance, or the conformity of plants of the same kind in structure and growth.

HAB'IT

,
Verb.
T.
To dress; to clothe; to array.
They habited themselves like rural deities.

HAB'IT

,
Verb.
T.
To dwell; to inhabit.

Definition 2024

habit

habit

See also: hàbit

English

Noun

habit ‎(plural habits)

  1. An action done on a regular basis.
    • Washington Irving
      a man of very shy, retired habits
    • 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
      Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.   Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
    It’s become a habit of mine to have a cup of coffee after dinner.‎
  2. An action performed repeatedly and automatically, usually without awareness.
    By force of habit, he dressed for work even though it was holiday.‎
  3. A long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns.
    It’s interesting how Catholic and Buddhist monks both wear habits.‎
  4. A piece of clothing worn uniformly for a specific activity.
    The new riding habits of the team looked smashing!‎
  5. (archaic) Outward appearance; attire; dress.
    • Shakespeare
      Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy.
    • Addison
      There are, among the statues, several of Venus, in different habits.
    • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
      […] it was always my fate to choose for the worse, so I did here; for having money in my pocket and good clothes upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a gentleman; and so I neither had any business in the ship, or learned to do any.
  6. (botany, mineralogy) Form of growth or general appearance of a variety or species of plant or crystal.
  7. An addiction.
    He has a 10-cigar habit.‎
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English habiten, from Old French habiter, from Latin habitāre, present active infinitive of habitō ‎(“I dwell, abide, keep”), frequentative of habeō ‎(“I have, hold, keep”); see have.

Verb

habit ‎(third-person singular simple present habits, present participle habiting, simple past and past participle habited)

  1. To clothe.
  2. (archaic) To inhabit.
Related terms
Translations

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.bi/

Noun

habit m ‎(plural habits)

  1. article of clothing, garment, dress-coat, evening dress, tails, full dress

Related terms

Old French

Noun

habit m ‎(oblique plural habiz or habitz, nominative singular habiz or habitz, nominative plural habit)

  1. Alternative form of abit

Polish

Pronunciation

Noun

habit m inan

  1. habit (clothing worn by monks and nuns)

Declension

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Old French habit, from Latin habitus ‎(“condition, bearing, state, appearance, dress, attire”), from habeō ‎(“I have, hold, keep”).

Pronunciation

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