I. ə-ˈkau̇nt noun
Etymology: Middle English acounte, accompte, from Anglo-French acunte, from acunter
Date: 14th century
1. archaic : reckoning , computation
2.
a. : a record of debit and credit entries to cover transactions involving a particular item or a particular person or concern
b. : a statement of transactions during a fiscal period and the resulting balance
3.
a. : a statement explaining one's conduct
b. : a statement or exposition of reasons, causes, or motives
no satisfactory account of these phenomena
c. : a reason for an action : basis
on that account I must refuse
4.
a. : a formal business arrangement providing for regular dealings or services (as banking, advertising, or store credit) and involving the establishment and maintenance of an account ; also : client , customer
b. : money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositor
5.
a. : value , importance
it's of no account to me
b. : esteem
stood high in their account
6. : advantage
turned her wit to good account
7.
a. : careful thought : consideration
have to take many things into account
b. : a usually mental record : track
keep account of all you do
8. : a description of facts, conditions, or events : report , narrative
the newspaper account of the fire
by all account s they're well-off
also : performance
a straightforward account of the sonata
•
- on account
- on account of
- on no account
- on one's own account
II. verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French acunter, from a- (from Latin ad- ) + cunter to count
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to think of as : consider
account s himself lucky
2. : to probe into : analyze
intransitive verb
1. : to furnish a justifying analysis or explanation — used with for
couldn't account for the loss
2.
a. : to be the sole or primary factor — used with for
the pitcher account ed for all three putouts
b. : to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something — used with for
account ed for two rabbits