account

views updated May 18 2018

ac·count / əˈkount/ • n. 1. a report or description of an event or experience. ∎  an interpretation or rendering of a piece of music.2. a record or statement of financial expenditure or receipts relating to a particular period or purpose. ∎  the department of a company that deals with such records.3. an arrangement by which a body holds funds on behalf of a client or supplies goods or services to the client on credit: a bank account buying things on account. ∎  the balance of funds held under such an arrangement: I wanted to get some money from the ATM and check my account. ∎  a client having such an arrangement with a supplier: selling bibles to established accounts in the North. ∎  a contract to do work periodically for a client.4. importance: money was of no account to her.• v. [tr.] consider or regard in a specified way: her visit could not be accounted a success.PHRASES: by (or from) all accounts according to what one has heard or read: by all accounts he is a pretty nice guy.call (or bring) someone to account require someone to explain a mistake or poor performance.on someone's account for a specified person's benefit: don't bother on my account.on account of because of.on no account under no circumstances.take something into account (or take account of) consider a specified thing along with other factors before reaching a decision or taking action.PHRASAL VERBS: account for1. give a satisfactory record of (something, typically money, that one is responsible for). ∎  provide or serve as a satisfactory explanation or reason for. ∎  (usu. be accounted for) know the fate or whereabouts of (someone or something), esp. after an accident: everyone was accounted for after the floods.2. supply or make up a specified amount or proportion of: social security accounts for about a third of total public spending.

Account

views updated May 18 2018

ACCOUNT

A written list of transactions, noting money owed and money paid; a detailed statement of mutual demands arising out of a contract or a fiduciary relationship.

An account can simply list payments, losses, sales, debits, credits, and other monetary transactions, or it may go further and show a balance or the results of comparing opposite transactions, like purchases and sales. Businesspersons keep accounts; attorneys may keep escrow accounts; and executors must keep accounts that record transactions in administering an estate.

account

views updated May 23 2018

account reckoning XIII; estimation XIV; report XVII. — AN. ac(o)unte, OF. aconte, f. acunter, aconter (f. AC- + conter COUNT3), whence account vb. XIV.
Hence accountable XIV So accountant XV. — Law F. use of prp. of OF. aconter.