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subpoena - 8 dictionary results
sub⋅poe⋅na
[suh-pee-nuh, suh
b-] 
noun, verb, -naed, -na⋅ing. Law.–noun
| 1. | the usual writ for the summoning of witnesses or the submission of evidence, as records or documents, before a court or other deliberative body. |
–verb (used with object)
| 2. | to serve with a subpoena. |
Also, sub⋅pe⋅na.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < L sub poenā under penalty (the first words of the writ)
1375–1425; late ME < L sub poenā under penalty (the first words of the writ)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To subpoena
| sub·poe·na (sə-pē'nə) n. A writ requiring appearance in court to give testimony. tr.v. sub·poe·naed, sub·poe·na·ing, sub·poe·nas To serve or summon with such a writ. [Middle English suppena, from Medieval Latin sub poenā, under a penalty (from the opening words of the writ) : Latin sub, under; see sub- + Latin poenā, ablative of poena, penalty; see kwei-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Subpoena
Sub*p[oe]"na\, n. [NL., fr. L. sub under + poena punishment. See Pain.] (Law) A writ commanding the attendance in court, as a witness, of the person on whom it is served, under a penalty; the process by which a defendant in equity is commanded to appear and answer the plaintiff's bill. [Written also subpena.] Subp[oe]na ad testificandum. [NL.] A writ used to procure the attendance of a witness for the purpose of testifying. Subp[oe]na duces tecum. [NL.] A writ which requires a witness to attend and bring certain documents.Subpoena
Sub*p[oe]"na\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Subp[oe]naed; p. pr. & vb. n. Subp[oe]naing.] (Law) To serve with a writ of subp[oe]na; to command attendance in court by a legal writ, under a penalty in case of disobedience.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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subpoena [(suh-pee-nuh)]
An order of a court, a legislature, or a grand jury compelling a witness to be present at a trial or hearing, under penalty of fine or imprisonment. Subpoena is Latin for “under penalty.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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subpoena (n.)
1422, sub pena, from M.L. sub poena "under penalty," the first words of the writ commanding the presence of someone under penalty of failure, from L. sub "under" + poena, ablative of poena "penalty." The verb is attested from 1640.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: sub·poe·na
Variant: also sub·pe·na /s&-'pE-n&/
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin sub poena under penalty
: a writ commanding a designated person upon whom it has been served to appear (as in court or before a congressional committee) under a penalty (as a charge of contempt) for failure to comply —compare SUMMONS
Main Entry: subpoena
Variant: also subpena
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -naed; -na·ing
: to call before a court or hearing by a subpoena
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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