Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

Account \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.

Account \Ac*count"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Accounted}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Accounting}.] [OE. acounten, accompten, OF. aconter,
   [`a] (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.

Source : WordNet®

account
     n 1: a formal contractual relationship established to provide for
          regular banking or brokerage or business services; "he
          asked to see the executive who handled his account"
          [syn: {business relationship}]
     2: the act of informing by verbal report; "he heard reports
        that they were causing trouble"; "by all accounts they
        were a happy couple" [syn: {report}]
     3: a record or narrative description of past events; "a history
        of France"; "he gave an inaccurate account of the plot to
        kill the president"; "the story of exposure to lead" [syn:
         {history}, {chronicle}, {story}]
     4: a short account of the news; "the report of his speech";
        "the story was on the 11 o'clock news"; "the account of
        his speech that was given on the evening news made the
        governor furious" [syn: {report}, {news report}, {story},
        {write up}]
     5: a statement of recent transactions and the resulting
        balance; "they send me an accounting every month" [syn: {accounting},
         {account statement}]
     6: a statement that makes something comprehensible by
        describing the relevant structure or operation or
        circumstances etc.; "the explanation was very simple"; "I
        expected a brief account" [syn: {explanation}]
     7: an itemized statement of money owed for goods shipped or
        services rendered; "he paid his bill and left"; "send me
        an account of what I owe" [syn: {bill}, {invoice}]
     8: grounds; "don't do it on my account"; "the paper was
        rejected on account of its length"; "he tried to blame the
        victim but his success on that score was doubtful" [syn: {score}]
     9: importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he
        predicted that although it is of small account now it will
        rapidly increase in importance"
     10: the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing
         skills to good account"

account
     v 1: be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition,
          supply, or disposal of something; "Passing grades
          account for half of the grades given in this exam"
     2: keep an account of [syn: {calculate}]
     3: to give an account or representation of in words; "Discreet
        Italian police described it in a manner typically
        continental" [syn: {report}, {describe}]
     4: furnish a justifying analysis or explanation; "I can't
        account for the missing money" [syn: {answer for}]