I. əˈkau̇nt also aˈ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English acount, accompt, from Old French aconte, from aconter, v.
1. archaic : counting , enumeration , computation
a pupil good at account
2.
a. : a record of debit and credit entries chronologically posted to a ledger page from books of original entry to cover transactions involving a particular item (as cash or notes receivable) or a particular person or concern
b. : a statement of transactions during a fiscal period showing the resulting balance
3. : a collection of items to be balanced — usually used in plural
4. : a statement or explanation of one's activities, conduct, and discharge of responsibilities especially in financial administration
he could give no satisfactory account of what he had done with the money
5.
a. : a periodically rendered reckoning (as one listing charged purchases and credits)
a grocery account
b. : the patronage involved in establishing or maintaining an account : business : business relationship
glad to secure that customer's account
also : patron , customer , client
a salesman with many good accounts
6.
a. : value or importance especially as attributed by others
an official of considerable account
b. : esteem , judgment
he stands high in their account
7. : profit , advantage
he turned his wit to good account
8.
a. : a statement or exposition of underlying or explanatory reasons, causes, grounds, or motives
no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena
b. : a reason giving rise to an action, decision, opinion, or any other result : basis
on that account he refused the offer
on all accounts you must do it
c. : attention , consideration : careful thought
don't leave that point out of account
take account of what you are doing
d. : a usually mental record based on close observation
keep careful account of all you do
9.
a. : a statement of facts or events
a newspaper remarkable for its sober accounts of the theater world
b. : an informative report or descriptive narration
an account of the varieties of tropical vegetation
the account of a battle
c. : a study or narrative usually nonfictional and wholly objective
an illuminating account of colonial days
10. : hearsay — usually used in plural
by all accounts he is very rich
he has been quite successful, from all accounts
11. : a sum of money or its equivalent deposited in the common cash of a bank and subject to withdrawal at the option of the depositor
12. : a common-law action for a statement of receipts and disbursements and the recovery of any balance due ; also : the writ by which it was brought
13. : the fortnightly or monthly settlement between buyers and sellers on the London Stock Exchange ; also : the period from one such settlement to another — usually used with the ; compare account days , term settlement
14. : performance or rendition (as of a musical composition)
the pianist gave a sensitive account of it
Synonyms: see use II
•
- for account of
- for the account
- for the account and risk of
- in account with
- on account of
- on one's own account
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English accounten, acounten, accompten, from Middle French aconter, acompter, from a- (from Latin ad- ) + conter, compter to count — more at count
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to calculate the numerical quantity of : count
my father and my mother account the days — William Caxton
b. obsolete : to determine or establish by comparison with a fixed point or standard
c. obsolete : to include in an enumeration or calculation
accounting the Lent season — Thomas Cogan
d. archaic : credit , allot
e. : to probe into : give an analytical report on : take or render account of
the report will be accounted by the finance committee
2. : to think of as : look upon as : rate, regard, or classify as — usually used passively or reflexively
he was accounted a lawyer of ability — G.S.Bryan
they accounted themselves fortunate
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : count
2. archaic : to give or receive a financial account : settle an account
3. : to furnish a justifying analysis or a detailed explanation of one's financial credits and debits or of the discharge of any of one's responsibilities — used with for
the broker accounted satisfactorily for his expenditures
he could not account for the time spent away from his post
4. : to furnish substantial reasons or a convincing explanation : make clear or reveal basic causes — used with for
a consistent theory which would account for the facts — G.C.Sellery
5.
a. : to be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, use, or disposal of an indicated thing — used with for
the region accounts for a large part of usable timber
b. : to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of an indicated thing — used with for
his dog accounted for two of the rabbits
Synonyms: see consider , explain