n.
Pronunciation: ' s ə -m ə nz
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural sum · mons · es
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