count

¹

[kount]

verb (used with object)

1. to check over (the separate units or groups of a collection) one by one to determine the total number; add up; enumerate.

   He counted his tickets and found he had ten.

2. to reckon up; calculate; compute.

3. to list or name the numerals up to.

   Close your eyes and count ten.

4. to include in a reckoning; take into account.

   There are five of us here, counting me.

5. to consider or regard.

   He counted himself lucky to have survived the crash.

6. Archaic.,  to reckon to the credit of another; ascribe; impute.

verb (used without object)

1. to count the items of a collection one by one in order to determine the total.

   She counted three times before she was satisfied that none was missing.

2. to list or name numerals in order.

   to count to 100 by fives.

3. to reckon numerically.

4. to have a specified numerical value.

5. to be accounted or worth something.

   That first try didn't count—I was just practicing.

6. to have merit, importance, value, etc.; deserve consideration.

   Every bit of help counts.

7. to have worth; amount (usually followed byfor ).

   Intelligence counts for something.

noun

1. the act of counting; enumeration; reckoning; calculation.

   A count of hands showed 23 in favor and 16 opposed.

2. the number representing the result of a process of counting; the total number.

3. an accounting.

4. Baseball.,  the number of balls and strikes, usually designated in that order, that have been called on a batter during a turn at bat.

   a count of two balls and one strike.

5. Law.,  a distinct charge or theory of action in a declaration or indictment.

   He was found guilty on two counts of theft.

6. Textiles.

   1. a number representing the size or quality of yarn, especially the number based on the relation of weight to length of the yarn and indicating its degree of coarseness.

   2. the number of warp and filling threads per square inch in woven material, representing the texture of the fabric.

7. Bowling.,  the number of pins struck down by the first ball rolled by a bowler in the frame following a spare and included in the score for the frame in which the spare was made.

8. Physics.

   1. a single ionizing reaction registered by an ionization chamber, as in a Geiger counter.

   2. the indication of the total number of ionizing reactions registered by an ionization chamber in a given period of time.

9. Also called the full count. Boxing.,  the count, the calling aloud by the referee of the seconds from 1 to 10 while a downed boxer remains off his feet. Completion of the count signifies a knockout, which the referee then declares.

   A hard right sent the challenger down for the count.

10. Archaic.,  regard; notice.

adjective

1. noting a number of items determined by an actual count.

   The box is labeled 50 count.

verb phrase

1. count off,  (often used imperatively, as in the army) to count aloud by turns, as to arrange positions within a group of persons; divide or become divided into groups.

   Close up ranks and count off from the left by threes.

2. count in,  to include.

   If you're going to the beach, count me in.

3. count out

   1. Boxing.,  to declare (a boxer) a loser because of inability to stand up before the referee has counted 10 seconds.

   2. to exclude.

      When it comes to mountain climbing, count me out.

   3. to count and apportion or give out.

      She counted out four cookies to each child.

   4. to disqualify (ballots) illegally in counting, in order to control the election.

4. count down,  to count backward, usually by ones, from a given integer to zero.

5. count on / upon,  to depend or rely on.

   You can always count on him to lend you money.

count

²

[kount]

noun

1. (in some European countries) a nobleman equivalent in rank to an English earl.

count

¹

/ kaʊnt /

verb

1. to add up or check (each unit in a collection) in order to ascertain the sum; enumerate

   count your change

2. (tr) to recite numbers in ascending order up to and including

3. to take into account or include

   we must count him in

4. excluding

5. (tr) to believe to be; consider; think; deem

   count yourself lucky

6. (intr) to recite or list numbers in ascending order either in units or groups

   to count in tens

7. (intr) to have value, importance, or influence

   this picture counts as a rarity

8. to have a certain specified value or importance

   the job counts for a lot

9. (intr) music to keep time by counting beats

noun

1. the act of counting or reckoning

2. the number reached by counting; sum

3. law a paragraph in an indictment containing a distinct and separate charge

4. physics the total number of photons or ionized particles detected by a counter

5. to keep a record of items, events, etc

6. to fail to keep an accurate record of items, events, etc

7. boxing wrestling the act of telling off a number of seconds by the referee, as when a boxer has been knocked down or a wrestler pinned by his opponent

8. boxing knocked out and unable to continue after a count of ten by the referee

9. boxing to be unable to continue after a count of ten

10. archaic,  notice; regard; account

count

²

/ kaʊnt /

noun

1. a nobleman in any of various European countries having a rank corresponding to that of a British earl

2. any of various officials in the late Roman Empire and under various Germanic kings in the early Middle Ages

3. a man who has received an honour ( papal knighthood ) from the Pope in recognition of good deeds, achievements, etc

Other Word Forms

• half-counted adjective
• countship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of count¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb counten, compten, from Anglo-French c(o)unter, Old French conter, from Latin computāre “to count up, reckon”; Middle English noun counte, conte, compte, from Anglo-French c(o)unte, Old French conte, cunte, from Late Latin computus “calculation, reckoning,” noun derivative of computāre compute ( def. )

Origin of count²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English counte. comite, counete, from Anglo-French c(o)unte, Old French conte, comte, from Late Latin comitem, accusative of comes honorary title of various imperial functionaries, Latin: “retainer, staff member,” literally, ”companion”; comes

Word History and Origins

Origin of count¹

C14: from Anglo-French counter, from Old French conter, from Latin computāre to calculate, _compute

Origin of count²

C16: from Old French conte, from Late Latin comes occupant of a state office, from Latin: overseer, associate, literally: one who goes with, from _com- with + īre to go

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. count coup. coup.

More idioms and phrases containing count

• down for the count
• every minute counts
• out for (the count)
• stand up and be counted

Example Sentences

She was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court to five years in prison for two counts of fraud by abuse of position after pleading guilty last month.

From BBC

The suspect, Michael Sparks, has been charged with two counts of murder.

From Los Angeles Times

Formal winners are not usually declared in exhibitions and the results do not count towards either fighter's career record.

From BBC

The parents of missing baby Emmanuel Haro pleaded not guilty to a single count of murder each on Thursday, more than two weeks after the child’s mother claimed he vanished during an attack.

From Los Angeles Times

Officials in Lisbon had initially put the death toll at 17, however that number was later revised down to 16 after they discovered a person who died in hospital overnight had been counted twice.

From BBC

Related Words

• calculation 
• poll 
• result 
• toll 
• total