\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.

\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.

\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.