Quick Definition
ἔθος, ους, τό n.n. a custom
Strong's Definition
from 1486; a usage (prescribed by habit or law)
KJV Usage: custom, manner, be wont
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, n. | -ους | ἐθίζω
41.25 · Behavior and Related States · Custom, Tradition
custom, habit a pattern of behavior more or less fixed by tradition and generally sanctioned by the society In a number of languages there is no noun for ‘custom’ or ‘habit,’ but the same meaning is communicated by verbal aspects or adverbial phrases indicating habitual action. For example, in the case of JHN 19:40 one may translate in some languages ‘as is the way in which Jews always bury people,’ and for 1CO 11:16 one may translate ‘this is not what we constantly do.’
LUK 1:9 · LUK 2:42 · LUK 22:39 · JHN 19:40 · ACT 6:14 · ACT 15:1 · ACT 16:21 · ACT 21:21 · ACT 25:16 · ACT 26:3 · ACT 28:17 · HEB 10:25
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἔθος, -eos (τους), [cf. ἦθος], τό, fr. Aeschyl. [Agam. 728 (?); better fr. Soph.] down, custom: Lk. xxii. 39; ἔθος ἐστί τινι foll. by an inf., Jn. xix. 40; Acts xxv. 16; Heb. x. 25; contextually, usage prescribed by law, institute, prescription, rite: Lk. i. 9; ii. 42; Acts xvi. 21; XX1. 215; xxvi. 3; xxviii. 17; περιτέμνεσθαι τῷ ἔθει Μωϊσέως, Acts xv. 1; ἀλλάξει τὰ ἔθη ἃ παρέδωκε Maiions, Acts vi. 14.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἔθος ethos 12x
a custom, usage, habit, Lk. 2:42; 22:39; an institute, rite, Lk. 1:9; Acts 6:14; 15:1
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἔθος, -εος (-ους), τό
(< ἔθω), [in LXX: Wi 14:16, Da TH Bel 15, I Mac 10:89, II Mac 11:25 13:4, IV Mac 18:5 א R* ;]
habit, custom; Lk 22:39, Jo 19:40, Ac 16:21 25:16, He 10:25; in Lk 1:9 2:42, Ac 6:14 15:1 21:21 26:3 28:17, almost in the narrower sense of law (Deiss., BS, 251 f.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἔθος. For ἔθος = ‘‘usage,” “‘custom,” as in the Lukan writings, cf. P Oxy IT. 370 (late i/A.p.) ds (sc. δραχμὰς) καὶ διαγράWopev ἐπὶ τὴν δημοσίαν τράπεζαν ταῖς ὡρισμέναις προθεσplats κατὰ τὸ ἔθος, and similarly P Ryl II. 7817 (a.p. 157), P Grenf I. 4815 (a.p. 191), P Lond II. 171 4° (iii/a.p.) (=II. p. 176). Other prepositional phrases are ἐν ἔθει (e. σ P Oxy III. 47178 (ii/A.D.) ἅπαξ yap ἐν ἔθει τῆς α[ἰσἸχύνης γενόμενον, ‘‘ for when once accustomed to his shame’’), and ἐξ ἔθους (e.g. P Oxy VI. 9007 (A.D. 322) τοὺς ἐξ ἔθους ταύτην τὴν χώραν ἀποπληροῦντας, ‘those who customarily fill this post’’). See also P Fay 125° (1i/A.p.) ὡς ἔθος ἐστί σοι, “as is your custom,” P Ryl II. 2385 (a.p. 262) ὅσα ἔθος ἔχουσι λαμβάνειν, ‘whatever they are accustomed to receive,’ and the other exx. in Deissmann AS p- 251f. From the inscrr. we may cite Sy// 349"! κατὰ τὸ τῶν προγόνων ἔθος, and J/agnx 100 b.™ (ii/B.c.) κατὰ τὸ πά[τριον ἔθος with reference to a day when children are freed from lessons and slaves from work. For the narrower sense of ‘‘law,” ‘‘rite,’’ Thieme (p. 22) refers to such a passage as M/agn 179? (ii/A.D.) an inscr. in honour of one— δόντα τὰ ἐξ ἔθους καὶ ὡρισμένα ὑπὲρ τῆς καύσεως τῆς βαίτης (δηνάρια) X: cf. 19 τὸ ἐξ ἔθους ἐπὶ ἡμέρᾳ διδόμενον ἔλαιον. E For the adj. ἔθιμος, see BGU II. 581° (A.D. 133) ὀμνύω τὸν ἔθιμον “Pwpatwy ὅρκον, P Oxy IV. 7297 (lease of a vineyard—a.D. 137) τὴν δὲ ἀν[αἸβολὴν ποιήσονται ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθίμων ἀναβολῶν.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἔθος (ethos) — custom. ἔθος, εος, τό, (ἔθω) custom, habit, ἔ. τὸ πρόσθε τοκήων (but probably falsa lectio for{ἦθος}) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ἔθει τῇ πόλει εἶναι to be the habit, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔ. ἐστίν τινι, with infinitive, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἔθος ἔχειν, with infinitive, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ἔθει by habit, habitually, opposed to φύσει, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δι᾽ ἔθος, opposed to ἐκ γενετῆς, [Refs]; ἐξ ἔθους[Refs 3rd c.AD+]-, cf. Latin suesco; see at {βεσόν}.)