essoin

[ ih-soin ]

noun

1. (in England) an excuse for nonappearance in a court of law at the prescribed time.

Word History and Origins

Origin of essoin¹

1300–50; Middle English essoine < Anglo-French, Old French essoigne, essoine, noun derivative of essoinier to put forward such an excuse, verbal derivative (with es- ex- ¹ ) of sogne, ultimately < Old Low Franconian *sunnja legal excuse, care (compare Old Saxon sunnea, Old Norse syn denial, Gothic sunja truth)