PROCONSUL

proconsul

(noun) an anthropoid ape of the genus Proconsul

proconsul

(noun) a provincial governor of consular rank in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire

proconsul

(noun) an official in a modern colony who has considerable administrative power

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

proconsul (plural proconsuls)

(in ancient Rome) A magistrate who served as a consul and then as the governor of a province.

Source: Wiktionary

Pro*con"sul, n. Etym: [L., fr. pro for + consul consul.] (Rom. Antiq.)

Definition: An officer who discharged the duties of a consul without being himself consul; a governor of, or a military commander in, a province. He was usually one who had previously been consul.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition