reckoning

English

Etymology

Gerund of the verb reckon, from reckon +‎ -ing. Compare Dutch rekening, German Rechnung.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛkənɪŋ/, /ˈɹɛkn̩ɪŋ/

• Audio (Southern England)

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  Particularly: "US")
• Hyphenation: reck‧on‧ing

Verb

reckoning

1. present participle and gerund of reckon

Noun

reckoning (countable and uncountable, plural reckonings)

1. The action of calculating or estimating something.

   By that reckoning, it would take six weeks to go five miles.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped ; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs kneeling on the hearth and heaping kindling on the coals, and her pretty little Alsatian maid beside her, laying a log across the andirons.

   • 1817, Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy:

     So saying, he called for a reckoning for the wine, and throwing down the price of the additional bottle which he had himself introduced, rose as if to take leave of us.

2. An opinion or judgement.

   day of reckoning

3. A summing up or appraisal.
   • 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide‎, page 18:

     The research presented in this paper is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reckoning of an expanding set of portmanteau terms based on the word English.

4. The settlement of accounts, as between parties.
5. The working out of consequences or retribution for one's actions.
6. (archaic) The bill (UK) or check (US), especially at an inn or tavern.
7. (archaic) Rank or status.

Synonyms

• (action of calculating or estimating something): calculation, computation; see also Thesaurus:calculation

Derived terms

Translations