call to account

ac·count

[uh-kount]
noun
1.
an oral or written description of particular events or situations; narrative: an account of the meetings; an account of the trip.
2.
an explanatory statement of conduct, as to a superior.
3.
a statement of reasons, causes, etc., explaining some event.
4.
reason; basis: On this account I'm refusing your offer.
5.
importance; worth; value; consequence: things of no account.
6.
estimation; judgment: In his account it was an excellent piece of work.
7.
an amount of money deposited with a bank, as in a checking or savings account: My account is now with Third National.
8.
Also called charge account. an accommodation or service extended by a business to a customer or client permitting the charging of goods or services, the returning for credit of unsatisfactory merchandise, etc.: Do you have an account at this store? My account with the restaurant is past due.
9.
a statement of financial transactions.
10.
Bookkeeping.
a.
a formal record of the debits and credits relating to the person, business, etc., named at the head of the ledger account.
b.
a balance of a specified period's receipts and expenditures.
11.
Commerce.
a.
a business relation in which credit is used.
b.
any customer or client, especially one carried on a regular credit basis.
c.
Also called advertising account. the business assigned to an advertising agency by a client: The toothpaste account was awarded to a new agency last year.
verb (used without object)
12.
to give an explanation (usually followed by for ): to account for the accident.
13.
to answer concerning one's conduct, duties, etc. (usually followed by for ): to account for the missing typewriters.
14.
to provide a report on money received, kept, and spent.
15.
to cause (usually followed by for ): The humidity accounts for our discomfort. His reckless driving accounted for the accident.
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verb (used with object)
16.
to regard; consider as: I account myself well paid.
17.
to assign or impute (usually followed by to ): the many virtues accounted to him.
Idioms
18.
call to account,
a.
to hold accountable; blame; reprimand: Call them to account for having endangered their lives.
b.
ask for an explanation of.
19.
give a good/bad account of, to do something or conduct oneself in a good (bad, etc.) manner: She gave a good account of herself in the tennis tournament.
20.
hold to account, to hold responsible; hold accountable or culpable: If any of the silver is missing, I'm going to hold you to account.
21.
on account, as an installment or a partial payment: I can't pay the balance, but here's $10 on account.
22.
on account of,
a.
by reason of; because of.
b.
for the sake of: She saw it through on account of me.
23.
on all accounts, in any case; under any circumstances. Also, at all accounts.
24.
on no account, under no circumstances; absolutely not: On no account should you buy that painting without having it appraised.
25.
take account of,
a.
to make allowance for; consider: One must take account of the difficult circumstances. Taking account of the high overhead, the price is not excessive.
b.
to notice or observe.
Also, take into account.
26.
turn to account, to derive profit or use from; turn to advantage: She has turned her misfortunes to account.
Origin:
1225–75; (noun) Middle English a(c)ount(e), ac(c)ompte < Anglo-French, Old French aco(u)nte, acompte; (v.) Middle English ac(co)unten < Old French acunter, acompter. See ac-, count1

Related forms
pre·ac·count, verb
sub·ac·count, noun
un·ac·count·ed, adjective

Synonyms
1. report, chronicle. See narrative. 2. justification. 5. import, significance. 6. consideration.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
account (əˈkaʊnt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a verbal or written report, description, or narration of some occurrence, event, etc
2.  an explanation of conduct, esp one made to someone in authority
3.  ground; basis; consideration (often in the phrases on this (that, every, no, etc) account, on account of)
4.  importance, consequence, or value: of little account
5.  assessment; judgment
6.  profit or advantage: to turn an idea to account
7.  part or behalf (only in the phrase on one'sorsomeone's account)
8.  finance
 a.  a business relationship between a bank, department store, stockbroker, etc, and a depositor, customer, or client permitting the latter certain banking or credit services
 b.  the sum of money deposited at a bank
 c.  the amount of credit available to the holder of an account
 d.  a record of these
9.  a statement of monetary transactions with the resulting balance
10.  (on the London Stock Exchange) the period, ordinarily of a fortnight's duration, in which transactions formerly took place and at the end of which settlements were made
11.  accounting a chronological list of debits and credits relating to a specified asset, liability, expense, or income of a business and forming part of the ledger
12.  a.  a regular client or customer, esp a firm that purchases commodities on credit
 b.  an area of business assigned to another: they transferred their publicity account to a new agent
13.  call to account, bring to account
 a.  to insist on explanation
 b.  to rebuke; reprimand
 c.  to hold responsible
14.  give a bad account of oneself to perform badly: he gave a bad account of himself in the examination
15.  give a good account of oneself to perform well
16.  on account
 a.  on credit
 b.  Also: to account as partial payment
17.  (preposition) on account of because of; by reason of
18.  take account of, take into account to take into consideration; allow for
19.  settle accounts with, square accounts with
 a.  to pay or receive a balance due
 b.  to get revenge on (someone)
20.  bank account See credit account
 
—vb
21.  (tr) to consider or reckon: he accounts himself poor
 
[C13: from Old French acont, from conter, compter to count1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

account
c.1300, "reckoning of money received and paid;" from O.Fr. acont "account," from à "to" + cont "count," from L.L. computus "a calculation," from L. computare "calculate" (see compute). Sense of "narration" is first attested 1610s. The verb meaning "to reckon for money
given or received" is from late 14c.; sense of "to explain" (c.1710) is from notion of "answer for money held in trust." Transf. sense of "value" is from late 14c. Pl. accounts used as a collective or sing. in phrases such as to give accounts (of something), mid-13c. Phrase by all accounts is attested from 1798. Accounting "reckoning of numbers" is from late 14c. Phrase no accounting for tastes (1823) translates L. de gustibus non est disputandum. Modern Fr. differentiates compter "to count" and conter "to tell," but they are cognates.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

call to account

  1. Hold answerable, as in One day soon we'll be called to account for the child's behavior: [Mid-1500s]

  2. Challenge or contest, as in The IRS is bound to call us to account on these deductions. [First half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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