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SUMMONS
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
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
Synonyms:
process; summons
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("summons" is a kind of...):
judicial writ; writ ((law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer)
Domain category:
jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "summons"):
citation (a summons that commands the appearance of a party at a proceeding)
monition; process of monition (a summons issued after the filing of a libel or claim directing all parties concerned to show cause why the judgment asked for should not be granted)
ticket (a summons issued to an offender (especially to someone who violates a traffic regulation))
Derivation:
summons (call in an official matter, such as to attend court)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An order to appear in person at a given place and time
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("summons" is a kind of...):
order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "summons"):
call up (an order to report for military duty)
Derivation:
summons (call in an official matter, such as to attend court)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A request to be present
Example:
they came at his bidding
Synonyms:
bidding; summons
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("summons" is a kind of...):
invitation (a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Call in an official matter, such as to attend court
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "summons" is one way to...):
call; send for (order, request, or command to come)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "summons"):
vouch (summon (a vouchee) into court to warrant or defend a title)
demand (summon to court)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Derivation:
summons (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)
summons (an order to appear in person at a given place and time)
Context examples:
To my surprise, it was a woman who answered the summons, a large, coarse-faced, elderly woman, in an apron.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
They entered in obedience to our summons.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
The quarter of an hour brought her punctually to the white gate again; and Miss Smith receiving her summons, was with her without delay, and unattended by any alarming young man.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
And young and old, noble and squire, gentle and simple, came at once on the summons; and among the rest came the friendly dwarf, with the sugarloaf hat, and a new scarlet cloak.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
No summons, however, arrived; and at last, on seeing a carriage drive up to the abbey, she was emboldened to descend and meet him under the protection of visitors.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
That's a summons, mate.
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
The comfort of such a friend at that moment as Colonel Brandon—or such a companion for her mother,—how gratefully was it felt!—a companion whose judgment would guide, whose attendance must relieve, and whose friendship might soothe her!—as far as the shock of such a summons COULD be lessened to her, his presence, his manners, his assistance, would lessen it.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
She was obliged to call herself to think of it, and acknowledge it to be terrible and grievous, or it was escaping her, in the midst of all the agitating pressing joyful cares attending this summons to herself.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Let us on, then, said Ford, and the whole party, setting their spurs to their horses, soon found themselves at the Castle of Villefranche, where the drawbridge had already been lowered and the portcullis raised in response to the summons of Du Guesclin.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Reader, it was on Monday night—near midnight—that I too had received the mysterious summons: those were the very words by which I replied to it.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
