Account \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.
Usage: 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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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