PROVOST

provost

(noun) a high-ranking university administrator

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Proper noun

Provost

An occupational surname for a provost.

Etymology

Noun

provost (plural provosts)

One placed in charge: a head, a chief, particularly

(religion) The head of various other ecclesiastical bodies, even (rare, obsolete) muezzins.

(religion) The minister of the chief Protestant church of a town or region in Germany, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia.

(UK, higher education) The head of various colleges and universities.

(obsolete) A ruler.

A mayor: the chief magistrate of a town, particularly (Scotland) the head of a burgh or (historical) the former chiefs of various towns in France, Flanders, or (by extension) other Continental European countries.

A senior deputy, a superintendent, particularly

(religion, historical) A prior: an abbot's second-in-command.

(US, higher education) A senior deputy administrator; a vice-president of academic affairs.

(historical) A steward or seneschal: a medieval agent given management of a feudal estate or charged with collecting fees; (obsolete, sometimes as ~ of Paradise or ~ of Heaven) a title of the archangel Michael.

(historical) Any manager or overseer in a medieval or early modern context.

(obsolete) A viceroy.

(obsolete) A governor.

(obsolete) A reeve.

(obsolete) Various Roman offices, as prefect and praetor.

(historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals.

(military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant.

(fencing, historical) An assistant fencing master.

(UK, military slang, obsolete) A provost cell: a military cell or prison.

Synonyms

• (head of cathedral chapter): See dean

• (head of a university or college): president, dean

• (head of a realm or state): See ruler

• (head of a town): See mayor

• (head of various specific bodies): prepositus

• (deputy overseeing medieval estates or fees): See steward

• (deputy to a king or emperor): See viceroy

• (deputy overseeing a province): See governor

• (reeve): See reeve

• (Roman officials): See prefect and praetor

• (deputy overseeing medieval law enforcement; military police): See police officer

Verb

provost (third-person singular simple present provosts, present participle provosting, simple past and past participle provosted)

(UK, transitive, used in passive, obsolete, military slang) To be delivered to a provost marshal for punishment.

Source: Wiktionary

Prov"ost, n. Etym: [OF. provost (L. prae and pro being confused), F. prevôt, fr. L. praepositus placed before, a chief, fr. praeponere to place before: cf. AS. prafost, profast. See Preposition, and cf. Propound.]

1. A person who is appointed to superintend, or preside over, something; the chief magistrate in some cities and towns; as, the provost of Edinburgh or of Glasgow, answering to the mayor of other cities; the provost of a college, answering to president; the provost or head of certain collegiate churches.

2. The keeper of a prison. [Obs.] Shak.

Note: In France, formerly, a provost was an inferior judge who had cognizance of civil causes. The grand provost of France, or of the household, had jurisdiction in the king's house, and over its officers. Provost marshal (often pronounced . (a) (Mil.) An officer appointed in every army, in the field, to secure the prisoners confined on charges of a general nature. He also performs such other duties pertaining to police and discipline as the regulations of the service or the commander's orders impose upon him. (b) (Nav.) An officer who has charge of prisoners on trial by court-martial, serves notices to witnesses, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

PROVOST

Proper noun

Etymology

Noun

Synonyms

Verb

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