summon

To call people together; to convene; to convoke.

Noun video games

  1. A creature magically summoned to do the summoner's bidding.
    • Conjuration magic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows players to summon a variety of helpful creatures […] These summons can assist players in combat and exploration, providing strategic advantages with their unique abilities. -...
  2. call, command, order
    • The deceased was 58 years of age, was the picture of health even five or six hours prior to his death, when suddenly the grim messenger came with a summon from a Higher Tribunal, calling him to duties above. - quoted in...

Origin

From Anglo-Norman somoundre, from Old French sumundre, from Latin summonēre, itself from sub + monēre, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti, causative from *men- (“to think”). Compare typologically from the same PIE root mention, Russian помина́ть (pominátʹ), упомина́ть (upominátʹ) (developed less further, keeping strong relation with по́мнить (pómnitʹ)), also compare помина́й как зва́ли (pomináj kak zváli) (<+ звать (zvatʹ)).

Forms

summons

Noun Malaysia, colloquial

  1. A fine; a fee or monetary penalty incurred for breaking the law; usually for a minor offence such as a traffic violation.
    • You better pay off the parking summon tomorrow before you kena interest on it.

    Synonyms: summons saman

  2. A notice of an infringement of the law, usually incurring such a penalty; a citation or ticket.

Origin

Borrowed from Malay saman (“fine, financial penalty”), which is itself borrowed from English summons (“notice summoning someone to appear in court”). This sense re-emerged in English as summon likely due to the erroneous belief that the original singular English word summons is plural. Doublet of summons and saman.

Forms

summons

Derived

summon auntie

Verb Entry 3

  1. To call people together; to convene; to convoke.
    • Silence is primary, summoning presence to itself; so it's a connection to the realm of origin. - 2007, John Zerzan, Silence:
  2. To ask someone to come; to send for.
    • The cousins separated, and Nain Singh joined a caravan posing as a merchant. This time he crossed the border successfully. Singh eventually entered Jih-k’a-tse, the second-largest city in Tibet. It was in Jih-k’a-tse...
  3. To order (goods) and have delivered
    • You can summon groceries, alcohol and medicines to your home: chips and vodka on New Year’s Eve, say, and then aspirin on New Year’s Day. - 2019 November 21, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped...
  4. To rouse oneself to exert a skill.
    • 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. - 1866, Pierre Bigandet, The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the...
    • 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...
    • 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...

    Synonyms: summon up muster muster up draw

  5. To call a resource by magic.
    • “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.” - 2010, Kay Hooper, The Wizard of Seattle, Fanfare, →ISBN:
  6. To summons; convene.

Forms

summons summoning summoned no-table-tags glossary summon summonest summonedst summoneth -

Derived

resummon submonish summonable summonee summoningly summons summon up unsummon

Verb Malaysia, colloquial

  1. To impose such a fine or penalty, or to issue a notice thereof.
    • The police summoned the driver for speeding.
    • They kena summoned for littering.

Forms

summons summoning summoned