The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.
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            A beggarly account of empty boxes.    --Shak.
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   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.
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   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.
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   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.
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   5. A statement and explanation or vindication of one's
      conduct with reference to judgment thereon.
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            Give an account of thy stewardship.   --Luke xvi. 2.
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   6. An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment. "To stand
      high in your account." --Shak.
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   7. Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit. "Men of
      account." --Pope. "To turn to account." --Shak.
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   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.]
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            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.
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   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.
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   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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.
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   2. To render an account; to answer in judgment; -- with for;
      as, we must account for the use of our opportunities.
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   3. To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to
      explain; -- with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty.
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   To account of, to esteem; to prize; to value. Now used only
      in the passive. "I account of her beauty." --Shak.
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            Newer was preaching more accounted of than in the
            sixteenth century.                    --Canon
                                                  Robinson.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.]
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   1. To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.]
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            The motion of . . . the sun whereby years are
            accounted.                            --Sir T.
                                                  Browne.
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   2. To place to one's account; to put to the credit of; to
      assign; -- with to. [R.] --Clarendon.
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   3. To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or
      consider; to deem.
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            Accounting that God was able to raise him up. --Heb.
                                                  xi. 19.
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   4. To recount; to relate. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

account
    n 1: 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, account, chronicle, story]
    2: 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, account, write
       up]
    3: 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:
       account, business relationship]
    4: 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, account]
    5: 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,
       account]
    6: importance or value; "a person of considerable account"; "he
       predicted that although it is of small account now it will
       rapidly increase in importance"
    7: a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance;
       "they send me an accounting every month" [syn: account,
       accounting, account statement]
    8: 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, account]
    9: 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, account, invoice]
    10: the quality of taking advantage; "she turned her writing
        skills to good 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: account, calculate]
    3: to give an account or representation of in words; "Discreet
       Italian police described it in a manner typically
       continental" [syn: report, describe, account]
    4: furnish a justifying analysis or explanation; "I can't
       account for the missing money" [syn: account, answer for]