reckon

views updated

reck·on / ˈrekən/ • v. 1. [tr.] establish by counting or calculation; calculate: his debts were reckoned at $300,000 | the Byzantine year was reckoned from September 1. ∎  (reckon someone/something among) include in (a class or group): in high school and college he was always reckoned among the brainiest.2. inf. conclude after calculation; be of the opinion: he reckons that the army should pull out entirely | I reckon I can manage that. ∎  [tr.] (often be reckoned) consider or regard in a specified way: it was generally reckoned a failure.3. [intr.] (reckon on) rely on or be sure of doing, having, or dealing with: they had reckoned on a day or two more of privacy. ∎  inf. expect to do a particular thing: I reckon to get away by two-thirty.PHRASES: a —— to be reckoned with (or to reckon with) a thing or person of considerable importance or ability that is not to be ignored or underestimated: the trade unions were a political force to be reckoned with.PHRASAL VERBS: reckon with (or without) 1. take (or fail to take) into account: it must reckon with two great challenges.2. (reckon with) archaic settle accounts with.ORIGIN: Old English (ge)recenian ‘recount, relate’; related to Dutch rekenen and German rechnen ‘to count (up).’ Early senses included ‘give an account of items received’ and ‘mention things in order,’ which gave rise to the notion of ‘calculation’ and hence of ‘coming to a conclusion.’