waste-book
Definition
- Noun:
- Temporary accounting record: A "waste-book" is a book in which transactions are recorded temporarily before being transferred to a more permanent ledger. It serves as a preliminary or rough record of financial entries.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The accountant used a waste-book to jot down daily sales before entering them into the main ledger. (A temporary record of daily transactions.)
- In traditional bookkeeping, the waste-book was essential for noting cash receipts and payments. (A preliminary accounting tool.)
Advanced Usage
"to keep a waste-book": to maintain a temporary record of financial transactions.
- The merchant kept a waste-book to track all informal purchases. (He recorded transactions temporarily for later formalization.)
"waste-book entry": a single transaction recorded in a waste-book.
- Each waste-book entry was later verified and posted to the general ledger. (Each temporary record was checked and moved.)
Variants and Related Words
- Waste (adj): leftover or unused, but in this compound, "waste" refers to the temporary or preliminary nature of the record.
- Book (n): a bound collection of pages for writing or recording.
Synonyms
- Daybook: a book for recording daily transactions, often used interchangeably with "waste-book".
- Journal: a chronological record of financial transactions, though typically more formal than a waste-book.
- Scratch pad: a less formal term for a temporary writing surface, not specific to accounting.
Related Idioms
- In the waste-book: referring to something recorded informally or temporarily.
- The deal was only in the waste-book until the contract was signed. (The transaction was noted informally pending finalization.)