provost Definition
pro·vost (prō′vōst′, präv′əst; esp. in military use prō′vō′)
noun
- a superintendent; official in charge
- the chief magistrate of a Scottish burgh
- Obsolete a jailer
- Eccles. the head of a cathedral chapter or principal church
- Educ.
- the head of any of certain colleges in the British Isles
- ☆ in certain American universities, an administrative official dealing chiefly with faculty, curriculum, etc.
Etymology: ME < OE profost & OFr provost, both < ML propositus, for L praepositus, chief, prefect, orig. pp. of praeponere, to set before, place first < prae-, before + ponere, to place: see pre- & position
provost Related Forms
pro′·vost·ship′ noun
provost Synonyms
provost Usage Examples
Converse of object
- become: Twice he made bids to become lord provost of Glasgow, but without success.
- elect: The idea of a small ' cabinet ' or elected provost taking decisions and excluding most councilors is not appropriate.
- appoint: He was appointed provost to the Diocese of Geneva, a significant post.
- have: Dumfries had a Catholic provost, John Maxwell, at the insistence of James, the first since the Reformation.
Converse of subject
govern: It is governed by a provost, 4 bailies, a treasurer, and 10 councilors.
Adjective modifier
- former: She is the former provost of Yale, part of the US Ivy League market-based system.
- then: MacLellan's Castle A castellated town house, complete except for its roof, built by the then provost of Kirkcudbright.
Modifies a noun
- marshal: Promoted to provost marshal at San Carlos he successfully kept the peace.
- sergeant: It was some two hours later when the provost sergeant Sid Pritchard shook him awake and handing him a mug of tea.
- office: A provost office was set up inside the circle.
Noun used with modifier
- lord: The leader was termed ' provost ' ( lord provost in the largest cities ) equivalent to the position mayor.
- vise: A vise provost, who is also a fellow.
- university: Provosts on Portals: A web seminar developed for American Association of State Colleges and Universities provosts.
- college: Every student is also a member of one of the colleges and the college provosts and other staff will provide support where appropriate.
Possessives
vote: Labor now has 11 councilors - with the provost's casting vote - and Tories 10.
Browse dictionary entries near provost
- ‹ provolone
- ‹ provoking
- ‹ provoked
- ‹ provoke
- ‹ provocative
- ‹ provocation
- ‹ provocateur
- ‹ Provo
- ‹ provitamin
- ‹ provisory
- provost court ›
- provost guard ›
- prow ›
- prowess ›
- prowl ›
- prowl car ›
- prox. ›
- proxemics ›
- Proxima Centauri ›
- proximal ›

