provost
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
Related Forms:
- provostship pro′·vost·ship′ noun
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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