SUBPOENA

subpoena, subpoena ad testificandum

(noun) a writ issued by court authority to compel the attendance of a witness at a judicial proceeding; disobedience may be punishable as a contempt of court

subpoena

(verb) serve or summon with a subpoena; “The witness and her records were subpoenaed”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

subpoena (plural subpoenas or subpoenae or subpoenæ)

(legal, historical) A writ requiring a defendant to appear in court to answer a plaintiff's claim.

(legal) A writ requiring someone to appear in court to give testimony.

Usage notes

The most common plural form is subpoenas. Subpoenae is a hypercorrection as the word is not derived from a Latin noun *subpœna, *subpœnæ, but from the Latin phrase sub pœna, and therefore has no Latin plural.

Synonyms

• witness summons (British)

Verb

subpoena (third-person singular simple present subpoenas, present participle subpoenaing, simple past and past participle subpoenaed)

(transitive) To summon with a subpoena.

Anagrams

• base upon

Source: Wiktionary

Sub*poe"na, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. sub under + poena punishment. See Pain.] (Law)

Definition: A writ commanding the attendance in court, as a witness, of the person on whom it is served, under a penalty; the process by which a defendant in equity is commanded to appear and answer the plaintiff's bill. [Written also subpena.] Subpoena ad testificandum (. Etym: [NL.] A writ used to procure the attendance of a witness for the purpose of testifying.

– Subpoena duces tecum (. Etym: [NL.] A writ which requires a witness to attend and bring certain documents.

Sub*poe"na, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Subpoenaed; p. pr. & vb. n. Subpoenaing.] (Law)

Definition: To serve with a writ of subpoena; to command attendance in court by a legal writ, under a penalty in case of disobedience.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition