(in England) an excuse for nonappearance in a court of law at the prescribed time.
Origin: 1300–50; ME essoine < AF, OF essoigne, essoine, n. deriv. of essoinier to put forward such an excuse, v. deriv. (with es-ex-) of sogne, ult. < Old Low Franconian *sunnja legal excuse, care (cf. OS sunnea, ON syn denial, Goth sunja truth)
[i-soin] 
