summon
pronunciation
How to pronounce summon in British English: UK [ˈsʌmən]
How to pronounce summon in American English: US [ˈsʌmən]
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- Verb:
- call in an official matter, such as to attend court
- ask to come
- gather or bring together
- make ready for action or use
Word Origin
- summon
- summon: see monster
- summon (v.)
- c. 1200, "call, send for, ask the presence of," especially "call, cite, or notify by authority to be at a certain place at a certain time" (late 13c.), from Anglo-French sumunre and directly from Old French somonre, variant of sumundre, somondre "summon," from Vulgar Latin *summundre "to call, cite," from Latin summonere "hint to, remind privately," from sub "under" (see sub-) + monere "warn, advise" (see monitor (n.)). In part also from Medieval Latin use of summonere. Meaning "arouse, excite to action" is from 1580s. Related: Summoned; summoning.
Example
- 1. It was used to summon mobs to particular venues .
- 2. He said he would summon officials to testify in parliament .
- 3. A zero-sum world may summon up rather darker forces .
- 4. After reviewing the evidence , french investigators summon harvard symbologist robert langdon for questioning .
- 5. Technology , too , may have had a role , for blackberrys were widely used to summon mobs .