summon

[suhm-uh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR summon ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to call upon to do something specified.

to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.

to call or notify to appear at a specified place, especially before a court: to summon a defendant.

to authorize or order a gathering of; call together by authority, as for deliberation or action: to summon parliament.

to call into action; rouse; call forth (often. followed by up): to summon all one's courage.

RELATED WORDS

messenger, catchpole, pursuivant

Origin of summon

1175–1225; < Medieval Latin summonēre to summon, Latin: to remind unofficially, suggest, equivalent to sum- sum- + monēre to remind, warn; replacing Middle English somonen < Old French semondre, somondre < Vulgar Latin *summonere, Latin summonēre, as above

Related formssum·mon·a·ble, adjectivesum·mon·er, nounre·sum·mon, verb (used with object)un·sum·mon·a·ble, adjectiveun·sum·moned, adjective

Synonym study

1–3. See call.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for summoner

Historical Examples of summoner

Already the summoner and the archers with their prisoner were clear of the house.
Sir Nigel
Arthur Conan Doyle
Zra answered to the summoner, and the priest, taking off his hat, saluted her.
A Noble Queen (Volume I of 3)
Philip Meadows Taylor
The evil one is sarcastic on the special wickedness of the Summoner.
Chaucer for Children
Mrs. H. R. Haweis
Thus, if the Summoner had been to a house first, the Friar was likely to suffer.
Chaucer for Children
Mrs. H. R. Haweis
The Summoner was ashamed to say what he really was, so he said, Yes.
Chaucer for Children
Mrs. H. R. Haweis

British Dictionary definitions for summoner

summon

verb (tr)

to order to come; send for, esp to attend court, by issuing a summons

to order or instruct (to do something) or call (to something)the bell summoned them to their work

to call upon to meet or convene

(often foll by up) to muster or gather (one's strength, courage, etc)

Derived Formssummonable, adjective

Word Origin for summon

C13: from Latin summonēre to give a discreet reminder, from monēre to advise

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

Word Origin and History for summoner

summon

c.1200, from Anglo-French, Old French sumundre "summon," from Vulgar Latin *summundre "to call, cite," from Latin summonere "hint to," from sub "under" + monere "warn, advise" (see monitor (n.)). Summons "authoritative call to be at a certain place for a certain purpose" is late 13c., from Old French sumunse, noun use of fem. past participle of somondre. Summoner "petty officer who cites persons to appear in court" is from early 14c.; contracted form sumner is from mid-14c.