From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsummonssum‧mons1 /ˈsʌmənz/ noun (plural summonses) [countable] SCLSCTan official order to appear in a court of law The judge must issue a summons. He had been accused of a drug offence but police had been unable to serve a summons on him (=officially order him to appear in court).
Examples from the Corpus
summons• It was a summons, not a request.• So he awaited his summons without impatience.• Official Solicitor's costs in originating summons.• In answer to Grant's summons, Larsen had turned up accompanied by ten well muscled companions.• The summons was heard as an ordinary Friday summons in the Commercial Court and occupied about 20 minutes.• It was a vexatious summons, and none of them turned up.issue ... summons• It is still necessary to issue a summons for directions in an admiralty or medical negligence case.• Magistrates threw out his first attempt by refusing to issue a summons.summonssummons2 verb [transitive] SCLSCTto order someone to appear in a court of law She has been summonsed to appear in court. Basil was summonsed for wounding a police officer.Grammar Summons is usually passive.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
summons• I have never had occasion to effect an arrest nor to summons any person.• Frequently Sereny is in inner dialogue with Speer or summons him as witness.• The police had summonsed the wrong man, and the court dismissed the case against him.summonsed to appear• In the case of less serious offences a person can be summonsed to appear.• Peter Righton has been summonsed to appear in court next month to face allegations concerning obscene material.From Longman Business Dictionarysummonssum‧mons1 /ˈsʌmənz/ noun (plural summonses) [countable] LAW an official order to appear in a court of lawAdministrators of his estate have issued a summons to get him to return to Australia. → originating summons → witness summons → writ of summonssummonssummons2 verb [transitive] LAW to officially order someone to appear in a court of lawI was summonsed to appear as a witness.→ See Verb tableOrigin summons (1200-1300) Old French somonse, from the past participle of somondre; → SUMMON 