/ ˈpriːfekt; NAmE / noun
1.
(in some British schools) an older student with some authority over younger students and some other responsibilities and advantages
2.
(also Prefect ) an officer responsible for an area of local government in some countries, for example France, Italy and Japan
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in sense 2): from Old French , from Latin praefectus , past participle of praeficere set in authority over, from prae before + facere make. Sense 1 dates from the early 19th cent.