Ac*count" (&?;), n. [OE. acount, account, accompt, OF. acont, fr. aconter. See [Account], v. t., [Count], n., 1.]

1.

A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as, the Julian account of time.

A beggarly account of empty boxes.
Shak.

2.

A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as, to keep one's account at the bank.

3.

A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as, no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as, on no account, on every account, on all accounts.

4.

A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as, an account of a battle. "A laudable account of the city of London." Howell.

5.

A statement and explanation or vindication of one's conduct with reference to judgment thereon.

Give an account of thy stewardship.
Luke xvi. 2.

6.

An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment. "To stand high in your account." Shak.

7.

Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit. "Men of account." Pope. "To turn to account." Shak.

[Account current], a running or continued account between two or more parties, or a statement of the particulars of such an account. --
[In account with], in a relation requiring an account to be kept. --
[On account of], for the sake of; by reason of; because of. --
[On one's own account], for one's own interest or behalf. --
[To make account], to have an opinion or expectation; to reckon. [Obs.]

This other part . . . makes account to find no slender arguments for this assertion out of those very scriptures which are commonly urged against it.
Milton.

--
[To make account of], to hold in estimation; to esteem; as, he makes small account of beauty. --
[To take account of], or [to take into account], to take into consideration; to notice. "Of their doings, God takes no account." Milton. --
[A writ of account] (Law), a writ which the plaintiff brings demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; -- called also an action of account. Cowell.

Syn. -- Narrative; narration; relation; recital; description; explanation; rehearsal. -- [Account], [Narrative], [Narration], [Recital]. These words are applied to different modes of rehearsing a series of events. Account turns attention not so much to the speaker as to the fact related, and more properly applies to the report of some single event, or a group of incidents taken as whole; as, an account of a battle, of a shipwreck, etc. A narrative is a continuous story of connected incidents, such as one friend might tell to another; as, a narrative of the events of a siege, a narrative of one's life, etc. Narration is usually the same as narrative, but is sometimes used to describe the mode of relating events; as, his powers of narration are uncommonly great. Recital denotes a series of events drawn out into minute particulars, usually expressing something which peculiarly interests the feelings of the speaker; as, the recital of one's wrongs, disappointments, sufferings, etc.

© [Webster 1913]

Ac*count" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. [Accounted]; p. pr. & vb. n. [Accounting].] [OE. acounten, accompten, OF. aconter, à (L. ad) + conter to count. F. conter to tell, compter to count, L. computare. See [Count], v. t.]

1.

To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.]

The motion of . . . the sun whereby years are accounted.
Sir T. Browne.

2.

To place to one's account; to put to the credit of; to assign; -- with to. [R.] Clarendon.

3.

To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem.

Accounting that God was able to raise him up.
Heb. xi. 19.

4.

To recount; to relate. [Obs.] Chaucer.

© [Webster 1913]

Ac*count", v. i.

1.

To render or receive an account or relation of particulars; as, an officer must account with or to the treasurer for money received.

2.

To render an account; to answer in judgment; -- with for; as, we must account for the use of our opportunities.

3.

To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to explain; -- with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty.

[To account of], to esteem; to prize; to value. Now used only in the passive. "I account of her beauty." Shak.

Newer was preaching more accounted of than in the sixteenth century.
Canon Robinson.

© [Webster 1913]

account (definition)