1. (law) 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
   "The prosecutor issued a subpoena to ensure the key witness would testify at the trial";
   - subpoena ad testificandum

1. Serve or summon with a subpoena
   "The witness and her records were subpoenaed"

Derived forms: subpoenaed, subpoenas, subpoenaing

Type of: judicial writ, process, serve, swear out, writ

Encyclopedia: Subpoena