Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BOOK'-KEEPING, n. [book and keep.]

The art of recording mercantile transactions in a regular and systematic manner; the art of keeping accounts in such a manner, that a man may know the true state of his business and property, or of his debts and credits, by an inspection of his books. The books for this purpose are, 1. a Waste Book, or blotter, in which are registered all accounts or transactions in the order in which they take place; 2. the Journal, which contains the accounts transferred from the waste book, in the same order, but expressed in a technical style; 3. the Ledger, in which articles of the same kind are collected together, from the journal, and arranged under proper titles. In addition to these, several others are used; as, cash-book; book of charges of merchandise; book of house-expenses invoice-book; sales-book; bill-book; receipt-book; letter-book; pocket-book; the use of which may be understood from the names. – Encyc.