provost

From Middle English, from late Old English profost, from Late Latin prōpositus, variant of Latin praepositus (“[one] placed in command”). In some senses, via Anglo-Norman provolt &c.; via Anglo-Norman and Old French provost (modern French prévôt). As a Central European ecclesiastical office, via German Propst, Danish provst, &c.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒvəst/, /ˈpɹɒvɒst/
  (As military police): IPA^(key): /pɹəʊˈvəʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹoʊvoʊst/, /ˈpɹɑvəst/

provost (plural provosts)

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. (Britain, 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) Various Roman offices, as prefect and praetor.
   9. (historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals.
      • 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure, for Measure, Act I, Scene ii, Line 113:

        Here comes Signor Claudio, led by the provost
        to prison;

   10. (military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant.
   11. (fencing, historical) An assistant fencing master.
3. (Britain, military slang, obsolete) A provost cell: a military cell or prison.

• (head of cathedral chapter): See dean
• (head of a university or college): president, dean
• (head of a realm or state): See Thesaurus:ruler
• (head of a town): See mayor
• (head of various specific bodies): prepositus
• (deputy overseeing medieval estates or fees): See steward
• (deputy to a king or emperor): See viceroy
• (deputy overseeing a province): See governor
• (reeve): See reeve
• (Roman officials): See prefect and praetor
• (deputy overseeing medieval law enforcement; military police): See Thesaurus:police officer

• Lord Provost
• provost cell
• Provost Marshall, provost marshal
• provost-place
• provost seal
• provost sergeant
• sit provost-place

provost (third-person singular simple present provosts, present participle provosting, simple past and past participle provosted)

1. (Britain, transitive, used in passive, obsolete, military slang) To be delivered to a provost marshal for punishment.

   Around the time of the Rebellions of 1837 and the First Anglo-Afghan War, British servicemen spoke of being provosted.

• Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "provost, n." and "† provost, v." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2007.