Book'-keep'ing, n.

n. [book and keep.] The art of recording mercantile transactions in a regular and systematic manner, so that a man may know the true state of his business and property by an inspection of his books; the art of keeping accounts. The books commonly used are a day-book and ledger. See DAY-BOOK and LEDGER.

Book-keeping by single entry, the method of keeping books by carrying the record of each transaction to the debit or credit of a single account.—Book-keeping by double-entry, the art of keeping accounts by making a separate record of every transaction in a debit and in a credit account:—sometimes called, from the place of its origin, the Italian method.