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account book

account book

1 2.3
A book or digital record where a business writes all money it gets and spends
  • noun
  • /əˈkaʊnt bʊk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : libro de cuentas
  • In front of her, an old-fashioned account book showed neat columns of entries in precise ink, most of it red.
  • account book records

Examples

  • An account book for Ajax Warehouse.

  • Well, what makes you so sure that I have the account book?

  • What about the account book?

  • I lifted my account book from the radiator.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I don't follow account books very much, you know.

  • The account books were dismal, reflecting a load of debt that made his gut churn.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Lucivia dipped her pen into the inkwell and bent her head over the account book.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In the 1670s, a Catholic priest serving the diocese of Suzhou Prefecture centered in Changshou left an account book listing his daily expenditures.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The accountant reviewed the account book to ensure all transactions were accurately recorded.

  • He found an error in the account book that could affect the company's finances.

Synonyms

account
vsaccount book
2.1

A record of money received and paid by a person or business

is specifically a full business transaction record and summary
book
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
537 3.7

A record that shows a business's money coming in and going out

is the same idea but adds summary of all transactions
ledger
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
57 5.0

A book used to record a business's money transactions

is broader and focuses on recording and summarizing overall transactions
journal
vsaccount book
27 3.6

A book for writing money transactions in time order

summarizes transactions for the business rather than listing them only by time
passbook
vsaccount book
7 4.4

A small bank booklet that records money put in, money taken out, and interest earned

is concerned with wide business transaction recording and summarizing
bankbook
vsaccount book
  • Archaic
3 4.0

A small book the bank keeps that shows your deposits, withdrawals, and balance

covers a business's overall transaction records, not just bank activity
daybook
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A book where a business writes daily sales and payments before they go into the main account book

collects and summarizes transactions for ongoing business accounting
cashbook
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A record that shows all money received and paid for a business or person

covers all transaction types and provides summarized financial records
book of account
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
5.1

A book where a business writes down all money it receives and pays

is the general record that also highlights summarized transaction data
general ledger
vsaccount book
  • Specialized
4.9

A main book where a business records all its financial accounts

is a general record type rather than the single main account holder

How Detailed

ledger
  • Specialized
57 5.0
account book
  • Specialized
1 2.3
record
2.5
register
  • Formal
68 3.0

Surface Forms

account book singular
account books plural

Morphology

account + book

The meaning 'a book or record of financial transactions' is directly compositional from 'account' (a record of monetary transactions) + 'book' (a written record). This noun–noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Account book comes from old shop owners who wrote every sale and every cost in one book called an account, so all the money details were in one place. That's why today account book means a book or digital 'record' of a business's 'transactions'.