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Webster 1913 Edition


Summon

Sum′mon

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Summoned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Summoning
.]
[OE.
somonen
, OF.
sumundre
,
semondre
, F.
semondre
, from (assumed) LL.
summonĕre
, for L.
summonēre
to give a hint;
sub
under +
monere
to admonish, to warn. See
Monition
, and cf.
Submonish
.]
1.
To call, bid, or cite; to notify to come to appear; – often with up.
Stiffen the sinews,
summon
up the blood.
Shakespeare
Trumpets
summon
him to war.
Dryden.
2.
To give notice to, or command to appear, as in court; to cite by authority;
as, to
summon
witnesses
.
3.
(Mil.)
To call upon to surrender, as a fort.
Syn. – To call; cite; notify; convene; convoke; excite; invite; bid. See
Call
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Summon

SUM'MON

,
Verb.
T.
[L. submoneo; sub and moneo.]
1.
To call, cite or notify by authority to appear at a place specified, or to attend in person to some public duty, or both; as, to summon a jury; to summon witnesses.
The parliament is summoned by the king's writ or letter.
Nor trumpets summon him to war.
2.
To give notice to a person to appear in court and defend.
3.
To call or command.
Love,duty, safety summon us away.
4.
To call up; to excite into action or exertion; with up. Summon up all your strength or courage.
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.

Definition 2024


summon

summon

English

Verb

summon (third-person singular simple present summons, present participle summoning, simple past and past participle summoned)

  1. (transitive) To call people together; to convene.
    • 2007. Zerzan, John. Silence.
      Silence is primary, summoning presence to itself; so it's a connection to the realm of origin.
  2. (transitive) To ask someone to come; to send for.
  3. (transitive) To use a personal skill.
    • 1866, Pierre Bigandet, The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese, with annotations and notice on the Phongyies or Burmese monks, page 396
      For securing the attainment of what he considered to be a most desirable end, he summoned all his abilities with a most praiseworthy energy and perseverance.
    • 2011, Sister Louise Sweigart, cgs, Joseph: A Guiding Light, Inspiring Voices (ISBN 9781462400089), page 61
      Joseph needed to summon all his reserve to keep his self-control, for no sooner had Asa voiced his request than Joseph recalled his remark to Aaron about a child being given to this couple in lieu of their giving Mary to him.
    • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
      City will feel nonplussed when they review the tape and Pellegrini had to summon all his restraint in the post-match interviews.
  4. (fantasy, transitive) To create a resource by magic.
    • 2010, Kay Hooper, The Wizard of Seattle, Fanfare (ISBN 9780307568540)
      “Why won't you teach me to summon water? I can summon fire so easily, it's only logical that I should learn to put out my mistakes.”
  5. (law, transitive) To order someone to appear in court, especially by issuing a summons.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

summon (plural summons)

  1. call, command, order
    The king's summons.