Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
summons - 8 dictionary results

sum⋅mons

[suhm-uhnz] noun, plural -mons⋅es, verb
–noun
1. an authoritative command, message, or signal by which one is summoned.
2. a request, demand, or call to do something: a summons to surrender.
3. Law.
a. a call or citation by authority to appear before a court or a judicial officer.
b. the writ by which the call is made.
4. an authoritative call or notice to appear at a specified place, as for a particular purpose or duty.
5. a call issued for the meeting of an assembly or parliament.
–verb (used with object)
6. to serve with a summons; summon.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME somons < AF; OF somonse < VL *summonsa, for L summonita, fem. ptp. of summonēre; see summon

sum⋅mon

[suhm-uhn]
–verb (used with object)
1. to call upon to do something specified.
2. to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.
3. to call or notify to appear at a specified place, esp. before a court: to summon a defendant.
4. to authorize or order a gathering of; call together by authority, as for deliberation or action: to summon parliament.
5. to call into action; rouse; call forth (often. fol. by up): to summon all one's courage.

Origin:
1175–1225; < ML summonēre to summon, L: to remind unofficially, suggest, equiv. to sum- sum- + monēre to remind, warn; r. ME somonen < OF semondre, somondre < VL *summonere, L summonēre, as above


sum⋅mon⋅a⋅ble, adjective
sum⋅mon⋅er, noun


1-3. See call.
sum·mon   (sŭm'ən)   
tr.v.   sum·moned, sum·mon·ing, sum·mons
  1. To call together; convene.
  2. To request to appear; send for. See Synonyms at call.
  3. Law To order to appear in court by the issuance of a summons.
  4. To order to take a specified action; bid: summon the captain to surrender.
  5. To call forth; evoke: "He summoned up a smile, though it seemed to take all his strength" (Colin Turnbull).

[Middle English somonen, from Old French somondre, from Vulgar Latin *summonere, from Latin summonēre, to remind privately, hint to : sub-, secretly; see sub- + monēre, to warn; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.]
sum'mon·er n.
sum·mons   (sŭm'ənz)   
n.   pl. sum·mons·es
  1. A call by an authority to appear, come, or do something.
  2. Law
    1. A notice summoning a defendant to appear in court.
    2. A notice summoning a person to report to court as a juror or witness.
tr.v.   sum·monsed, sum·mons·ing, sum·mons·es Law
To serve a court summons to.

[Middle English somons, from Old French somonse, from feminine past participle of somondre, to summon; see summon.]

Summons

Sum"mons\, n.; pl. Summonses. [OE. somouns, OF. sumunse, semonse, semonce, F. semonce, semondre to summon, OF. p. p. semons. See Summon, v.]

1. The act of summoning; a call by authority, or by the command of a superior, to appear at a place named, or to attend to some duty.

Special summonses by the king. --Hallam.

This summons . . . unfit either to dispute or disobey. --Bp. Fell.

He sent to summon the seditious, and to offer pardon; but neither summons nor pardon was regarded. --Sir J. Hayward.

2. (Law) A warning or citation to appear in court; a written notification signed by the proper officer, to be served on a person, warning him to appear in court at a day specified, to answer to the plaintiff, testify as a witness, or the like.

3. (Mil.) A demand to surrender.

Summons

Sum"mons\, v. t. To summon. [R. or Colloq.] --Swift.

Main Entry: sum·mons
Pronunciation: 's&-m&nz
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural sum·mons·es /-m&n-z&z/
: a written notification that one is required to appear in court: as a : a document in a civil suit that is issued by an authorized judicial officer (as a clerk of court) and delivered to a plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney for service on the defendant and that notifies the defendant that he or she must appear and defend (as by filing an answer) within a specified time or a default judgment will be rendered for the plaintiff b : a document that summons a defendant to appear before a court to answer a minor criminal charge and that is issued in lieu of a warrant for arrest by an authorized judicial officer (as a magistrate) upon request of a prosecuting attorney c : a notification to appear for jury service d : a notification to appear as a witness —see also JOHN DOE SUMMONS, SERVICE —compare SUBPOENA

Main Entry: summons
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: sum·monsed /-m&nzd/; sum·mons·ing /-m&n-zi[ng]/
: SUMMON; especially : to bring into court by a summons summonsed to serve as a trial juror>
Search another word or see summons on Thesaurus | Reference