I. sə-ˈpē-nə, ÷-nē noun
Etymology: Middle English suppena, from Latin sub poena under penalty
Date: 15th century
: a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure
II. transitive verb
( -naed ; -na·ing )
Date: 1640
: to serve or summon with a writ of subpoena