noun
plural -counts
[count] :a record of money that has been paid and money that has been received :bill
b accounts [plural] :records of income and expenses
[count] :an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank
[count] :a company's record of the products or services used by a customer and of the money that the customer owes or has paid to the company
In figurative use, to settle an account or to settle accounts with someone is to do something that brings a final end to an argument, disagreement, etc.
[count] :a business arrangement in which a person or company regularly buys products or services from a particular company
[count] :an arrangement in which a person uses the Internet or e-mail services of a particular company
[count] :a description of an event or situation :a story or report about something
[count] :a list or description of facts
[count] :a reason or explanation for an action
[noncount] formal :value or importance - used in the phrases of no account and of little account
bring/call (someone) to account
to require (someone) to explain and accept punishment or criticism for bad or wrong behavior
by/from all accounts
according to all of the different descriptions of something
by your own account
according to what you have said about your own life or experiences
give a good account of yourself
to perform well especially in a competition
on account of
because of :for the reason of
on no account
or not on any account
chiefly Brit :for no reason :under no circumstances - used to say that something will not or should not happen
on someone's account
because of someone :in order to please someone
on your own account
by yourself :on your own :without the help of others
for your own sake :in order to make a situation good for yourself
take (something) into account
or take account of (something)
to think about (something) before doing something (such as making a decision) :consider
turn (something) to (good) account
formal :to gain or profit from (something) :to take advantage of (something)
verb
-counts; -counted; -counting
[+ obj] formal :to think of (someone or something) in a specified way - usually used as (be) accounted
account for
[phrasal verb]
account for (something)
to give a reason or explanation for (something)
The informal saying there's no accounting for taste means that there is no way to understand why some people like something while other people do not.
to be the cause of (something)
to make up or form (a part of something)
d US :to think about (something) before doing something :to take (something) into consideration
account for (someone or something)
to show what happened to (someone or something)
to destroy or kill (someone or something)