Adjacent Words

Summons definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SUM'MONS, n. with a plural termination, but used in the singular number; as a summons is prepared. [L. submoneas.]
A call by authority or the command of a superior to appear at a place named, or to attend to some public duty.
This summons he resolved not to disobey.
He sent to summon the seditious and to offer pardon; but neither summons nor pardon was regarded.
1. In law, a warning or citation to appear in court; or 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 demand of the plaintiff.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a request to be present; "they came at his bidding" [syn: bidding, summons]
2: an order to appear in person at a given place and time
3: a writ issued by authority of law; usually compels the defendant's attendance in a civil suit; failure to appear results in a default judgment against the defendant [syn: summons, process] v
1: call in an official matter, such as to attend court [syn: summon, summons, cite]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural summonses) Etymology: Middle English somouns, from Anglo-French somonse, from past participle of somondre Date: 13th century 1. the act of summoning; especially a call by authority to appear at a place named or to attend to a duty 2. a warning or citation to appear in court: as a. a written notification to be served on a person as a warning to appear in court at a day specified to answer to the plaintiff b. a subpoena to appear as a witness 3. something (as a call) that summons II. transitive verb Date: 1683 summon 2

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. (pl. summonses) 1 an authoritative or urgent call to attend on some occasion or do something. 2 a a call to appear before a judge or magistrate. b the writ containing such a summons. --v.tr. esp. Law serve with a summons. Etymology: ME f. OF somonce, sumunse f. L summonita fem. past part. of summonere: see SUMMON

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(summonses, summonsing, summonsed) 1. A summons is an order to come and see someone. I received a summons to the Palace from Sir Robert Fellowes, the Queen's private secretary. N-COUNT 2. A summons is an official order to appear in court. She had received a summons to appear in court. N-COUNT 3. If someone is summonsed, they are officially ordered to appear in court. The men were summonsed and last week 30 appeared before Hove magistrates... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Citation, official call or notice.

Moby Thesaurus

Angelus, Angelus bell, alarm, alarum, battle cry, beck, beck and call, bid, bid come, biddance, bidding, birdcall, bugle call, call, call away, call back, call for, call forth, call in, call out, call together, call up, call-up, calling, calling forth, certiorari, citation, cite, compulsory military service, conjure, conjure up, conscription, convene, convocation, convoke, demand, draft, draft call, drafting, engraved invitation, enlistment, enrollment, evocation, evoke, garnishment, habeas corpus, impressment, indent, induction, invitation, invite, invocation, invoke, last post, levy, mobilization, monition, moose call, muster, muster up, nod, order up, page, preconization, preconize, press, rallying cry, rebel yell, recall, recruiting, recruitment, requisition, reveille, selective service, send after, send for, serve, subpoena, summon, summon forth, summon up, taps, trumpet call, venire, venire de novo, venire facias, war cry, warrant, whistle, writ, writ of summons