Obs. Forms: 4 somun, sumun, sommoun, 4–5 somoun, 5 somoune, -own, summoun(e, 6 somon, 6–7 sommon, 4–8 summon. [f. SUMMON v.] = SUMMONS.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23821. Ilk dai we se somun For to graid and mak us bun.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 171. He bad his kniȝes lele Com to his somoun Wiþ hors and wepenes fele.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 539. To take her hyre he mad sumoun.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 104. Ȝiff thow theis somouns wythsytte, he sendes thie thies wordes.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 10. Dukis and digne lordis,… Sembillit to his summovne.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, IX. 151. The Heraults they obayed, And when ye kings the sommon heard, from him no whit they stayed.
1596. Bacon, Max. & Use Com. Law, II. (1630), 9. The Kings writs of Processe, be they Sommons, Attachments [etc.].
1599. Thynne, Animadv. (1875), 66. I haue not my booke of somons of Barons to parliamente in my handes.
1629. T. Adams, Medit. Creed, Wks. 1231. Esther durst not come into the Presence, till the Scepter had giuen her admission; a summon of that emboldens her.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, II. ix. Mr. Allworthy … gave orders that the bell should be rung without the doors…. All these summons proving ineffectual [etc.].
1800. Bloomfield, Spring, Poems (1845), 12. Heedlessly they graze, Or hear the summon with an idle gaze.
b. attrib.: summon-master, one who directs the issue of summonses (fig.).
1618. Brathwait, Descr. Death, 3, in Good Wife, etc., E 7. Death is … The Summon-maister of mortalitie.
