[f. ACCOUNT v. + -ING1.]
† 1. The action or process of reckoning, counting or computing; numeration, computation. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls Ser.), I. 39. Dionysius Exiguus acordeþ nouȝt with þe Gospel in acountynge of ȝeres.
c. 1400. Tundale, Circumcis., 85. By just a countyng in the kalendere The fyrst day of the new yere.
1494. Fabyan, I. 2. Thus endyth thaccomptynge of the yeres of the worlde from the Creacion of Adam vnto the Incarnacion of Christ.
a. 1716. South, 12 Serm. (1717), III. 407. Running behind-hand in his Spiritual Estate, which, without frequent Accountings, he will hardly be able to prevent.
† Attrib. or Comb. (Obs.) accounting-book, account-book; accounting-house, counting-house; accounting-table, counter, desk.
1552–5. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 206. Christ is the accounting book, and register of God.
1812. Crabbe, Tales, 16, Wks. 1834, V. 168. This trader view’d a huge accompting-book.
1788. V. Knox, Winter Evgs., III. VIII. i. 105. Your souls are … confined in their flight to the regions of Change Alley and your accompting-houses.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. xi. 21. Jesus drave the beasts out of the Temple and overthrew the accounting tables.
2. Accounting for (gerundially): Answering for, giving a satisfactory explanation of.
1855. Prescott, Philip II. (1857), I. viii. 144. One obvious way of accounting for this, doubtless, is by the spirit of persecution which hung like a dark cloud over her reign.
