subpoena
or sub·pe·na
[ suh-pee-nuh, suh b- ]
/ səˈpi nə, səb- /
noun
the usual writ for the summoning of witnesses or the submission of evidence, as records or documents, before a court or other deliberative body.
verb (used with object), sub·poe·naed, sub·poe·na·ing.
to serve with a subpoena.
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- subperitoneal fascia,
- subphylum,
- subpixel,
- subpleural,
- subplot,
- subpoena duces tecum,
- subpolar,
- subpopulation,
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Origin of subpoena
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin sub poenā under penalty (the first words of the writ)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for subpoena
subpoena
/ (səbˈpiːnə, səˈpiːnə) /
noun
a writ issued by a court of justice requiring a person to appear before the court at a specified time
verb -nas, -naing or -naed
(tr) to serve with a subpoena
Word Origin for subpoena
C15: from Latin: under penalty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
subpoena
early 15c., sub pena, from Medieval Latin sub poena "under penalty," the first words of the writ commanding the presence of someone under penalty of failure, from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + poena, ablative of poena "penalty" (see penal). The verb is attested from 1630s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
subpoena
[ (suh-pee-nuh) ]
An order of a court, a legislature, or a grand jury compelling a witness to be present at a trial or hearing, under penalty of fine or imprisonment. Subpoena is Latin for “under penalty.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.