habit
Definitions
A settled tendency or practice that you do regularly, often automatically
习惯，习性（常自动重复的固定行为）
An addictive practice, especially a harmful one
癖好，瘾（尤指有害的）
A long, loose garment worn by a monk or nun
（修士或修女穿的）长袍，会服
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedStraight from Latin habitus, the past participle of habēre 'to have/hold,' meaning 'a state or condition — the way one holds oneself.' That covered both a person's settled behavior (today's main sense) and their dress, which is why the same word also names a monk's or nun's robe.
Root habit still carries 7 more wordsWhy It Means This
The two senses feel unrelated until you trace them back. Latin habitus meant 'how you hold yourself' — both your habitual bearing and your outward getup. English split this into the behavior sense (a habit you can't break) and the clothing sense (a religious habit). They're not a coincidence; they're the same idea of a settled, held appearance.
Common Collocations
- 1.break a habit改掉习惯
- 2.form a habit养成习惯
- 3.kick the habit戒掉（坏习惯/瘾）
- 4.habit-forming容易成瘾的
- 5.creature of habit习惯的奴隶
- 6.out of habit出于习惯
Example Sentences
- 1.
She has a habit of biting her nails when she's nervous.
- 2.
It took him years to break the smoking habit.
- 3.
Reading before bed has become a comforting habit.
- 4.
The old nun's black habit reached all the way to the floor.
Synonym Comparison
- habit — a regular, often automatic personal behavior: a habit of arriving early
- custom — a practice shared by a group or culture: a local custom
- routine — a fixed sequence of actions, often a schedule: morning routine
- practice — a customary way of doing things, often professional or formal: standard practice
- addiction — a compulsive dependence you can't control: drug addiction