account

I. 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 accounts they're well-off

>; also performance <

a straightforward account of the sonata

> 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 <

accounts 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 accounted for all three putouts

> b. to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something — used with for <

accounted for two rabbits

>