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  • ledger
    ledger
    noun
    an account book or digital file of final entry, in which business transactions are recorded.
  • Ledger
    Ledger
    noun
    Heath(cliffe) Andrew . 1979–2008, Australian film actor. His films include The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Synonyms

ledger

American  
[lej-er] / ˈlɛdʒ ɛr /

noun

ledgers plural
  1. Bookkeeping. an account book or digital file of final entry, in which business transactions are recorded.

    The Controller must oversee, review, and approve of all posting of financial activity into the General Ledger.

  2. Computers. a decentralized public database of permanent records of financial transactions, distributed over a network and typically having the form of a blockchain, used especially in cryptocurrency systems.

    When users send or receive a payment in bitcoin, network nodes verify the transaction and then record it in a shared public ledger.

  3. Building Trades.

    1. a horizontal board attached to a wall to support the ends of the joists of another structure such as a deck, porch, roof, etc..

      As the cause of the porch’s collapse, the inspector cited a ledger attached with improper screws.

    2. (in scaffolding) a horizontal board or metal tube attached to uprights, either to support the ends of the boards of a platform or for use as a handrail.

      Arrange the ledgers so the platforms slope slightly outwards, carrying rain away from the face of the building.

    3. ribbon.

  4. Also called ledger stone.  a flat slab of stone laid over a grave or tomb.

    I had a Bible verse engraved on his ledger, ending with the words “Rest in peace.”

  5. Angling, Chiefly British. Also leger a lead sinker with a hole in one end through which the line passes, enabling the bait and the sinker to rest on the bottom and allowing the fish to take the bait without detecting the sinker.

    If fishing for bass in particular, the ledger is preferred.


ledger 1 British  
/ ˈlɛdʒə /

noun

  1. accounting the principal book in which the commercial transactions of a company are recorded

  2. a flat horizontal slab of stone

  3. a horizontal scaffold pole fixed to two upright poles for supporting the outer ends of putlogs

  4. angling

    1. a wire trace that allows the weight to rest on the bottom and the bait to float freely

    2. ( as modifier )

      ledger tackle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr) angling to fish using a ledger

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Ledger 2 British  
/ ˈlɛdʒə /

noun

  1. Heath(cliffe) Andrew . 1979–2008, Australian film actor. His films include The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2005)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of ledger

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier legger “book,” probably equivalent to legg(en) “to set down, lay” + -er noun suffix; see lay 1, -er 1, ledge

Explanation

A ledger is kind of like a diary, but for money. It's a book for keeping track of expenses, profits, and other financial matters. A ledger is an accounting journal used to keep track of money. Businesses — or their accountants — keep careful ledgers so they know how much money is coming in and going out. If you've ever heard the expression "cook the books" — meaning cheat financially by making things up — the "books" are ledgers. If you like numbers and money, maybe you should become an accountant so you can help people with their ledgers.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing ledger

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, just be careful about creating a ledger of such gifts in your own mind.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

To be honest, though, since the 40-year bond rally terminated in 2020, investors who ply their trade on the fixed-income side of the ledger have become accustomed to driving under a yellow flag.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

The investments covered in the ledger were tiny percentages of SpaceX but would have generated windfalls.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

Each cycle of expansion and contraction deposits more entropy – a measure of disorder – into the ledger.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026

She flipped a few pages in the ledger.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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