Customs in various estates (4)

I believe the answer is:

uses

'customs' is the definition.
(use is a kind of custom)

'in various estates' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'USES' is hidden in the letters of 'various estates'.

(Other definitions for uses that I've seen before include "Employs" , "What an employer does" , "Consumes; treats" , "Puts to a particular purpose" , "Functions, applications" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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