ˈprōˌvōst, ˈprävəst, ˈprōvəst, esp as attributive ˈprō(ˌ)vō noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English provost, provest, partly from Old English prafost, profast, profost, from Medieval Latin propositus, alteration (influenced by Latin propositus, past participle of proponere to display, declare, propound) of Medieval Latin prepositus, praepositus abbot, prior, provost & Latin praepositus director, chief, man in charge; partly from Old French provost, from Medieval Latin propositus — more at propose , prepositus
1. : a person appointed to superintend, preside over, or be the official head of (as an institution or corporate body): as
a.
(1) : the head of a cathedral or collegiate chapter
(2) : the head of a newly-constituted cathedral church
(3) : a Protestant clergyman in charge of the chief church of a region in Germany
(4) : an ecclesiastic whose duties approximate those of a dean or prior but who at times is second in authority to a dean, prior, or abbot
b. : the chief magistrate of a Scottish burgh corresponding to the mayor of an English city
c.
(1) : the steward or bailiff of a feudal manor
(2) : the reeve of a medieval tithing borough or town
(3) : the officer in charge of a royal establishment (as a mint)
d. : the keeper of a prison
e.
(1) : the head of any of several British colleges
(2) : a high-ranking administrative officer of an American university
f. : provost marshal
2. : a fencer of lower rank than a maître d'armes
• prov·ost·al ˈprävə̇st ə l adjective