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A Provost

  1. One placed in charge: a head, a chief, particularly:
    1. (religion, historical) A dean: the head of a cathedral chapter.
    2. (religion) The head of various other ecclesiastical bodies, even (rare, obsolete) muezzins.
    3. (religion) The minister of the chief Protestant church of a town or region in Germany, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia.
    4. (UK, higher education) The head of various colleges and universities.
    5. (obsolete) A ruler.
    6. 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.
  2. A senior deputy, a superintendent, particularly:
    1. (religion, historical) A prior: an abbot's second-in-command.
    2. (US, higher education) A senior deputy administrator; a vice-president of academic affairs.
    3. (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.
    4. (historical) Any manager or overseer in a medieval or early modern context.
    5. (obsolete) A viceroy.
    6. (obsolete) A governor.
    7. (obsolete) A reeve.
    8. (obsolete) The head of various Roman offices, such as prefect and praetor.
    9. (historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals.
    10. (military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant.
    11. (fencing, historical) An assistant fencing master.
  3. (UK, military slang, obsolete) A provost cell: a military cell or prison.
Synonyms