provost

[ proh-vohst, prov-uh st or, esp. in military usage, proh-voh ]

/ ˈproʊ voʊst, ˈprɒv əst or, esp. in military usage, ˈproʊ voʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR provost ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person appointed to superintend or preside.

an administrative officer in any of various colleges and universities who holds high rank and is concerned with the curriculum, faculty appointments, etc.

Ecclesiastical. the chief dignitary of a cathedral or collegiate church.

the steward or bailiff of a medieval manor or an officer of a medieval administrative district.

the mayor of a municipality in Scotland.

Obsolete. a prison warden.

Nearby words

provocation, provocative, provoke, provoking, provolone, provost, provost court, provost guard, provost marshal, provost sergeant, prow

Origin of provost

before 900; Middle English; Old English profost < Medieval Latin prōpositus abbot, prior, provost, literally, (one) placed before, Latin: past participle of prōpōnere. See pro-¹, posit

Related formspro·vost·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for provost

Previously, she was the president of the University of Pennsylvania and provost of Yale University.
2012 Summit: Who's On Stage||March 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As Stanford provost, Rice dismissed, on budgetary grounds, a popular Latina administrator.
Growing Up Condi|Stephen L. Carter|October 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The UCL president and provost, Professor Malcolm Grant is “deeply saddened by these events.”
My Classmate, the Plane Bomber|Venetia Thompson|December 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
And then another woman insisted I was the provost of a small university in Southern Florida.
Jane Lynch on Playing Meryl Streep's Sister|Marshall Heyman|August 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Let us to our provost, and demand his countenance and assistance.
The Fair Maid of Perth|Sir Walter Scott
What would the Provost have thought and said, had he lived to see an edition of them in ten volumes 4to.
Nuts to crack; or Quips, quirks, anecdote and facete of Oxford and Cambridge Scholars|Richard Gooch
The Provost Marshal and I steer between them as blandly as we can.
Army Life in a Black Regiment|Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Some day, perhaps, we shall have a lady presiding as provost over one of our great universities.
Lalage's Lovers|George A. Birmingham
These unpleasant reflections were, however, not confined to the officer in command of the provost guard.
Under the Stars and Bars|Walter A. Clark

British Dictionary definitions for provost

provost

/ (ˈprɒvəst) /

noun

an appointed person who superintends or presides

the head of certain university colleges or schools

(in Scotland) the chairman and civic head of certain district councils or (formerly) of a burgh councilCompare convener (def. 2)

Church of England the senior dignitary of one of the more recent cathedral foundations

RC Church

the head of a cathedral chapter in England and some other countries
(formerly) the member of a monastic community second in authority under the abbot

(in medieval times) an overseer, steward, or bailiff in a manor

obsolete a prison warder

(prəˈvəʊ) British and Canadian military a military policeman

Word Origin for provost

Old English profost, from Medieval Latin prōpositus placed at the head (of), from Latin praepōnere to place first, from prae- before + pōnere to put

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for provost

provost

Old English profost, reinforced by Old French cognate provost, both from Late Latin propositus (reinforced by Old French cognate provost), from Latin propositus/praepositus "a chief, prefect" (source of Old Provençal probost, Old High German probost, German Propst), literally "placed before, in charge of," from past participle of praeponere "put before" (see preposition). Provost marshal first recorded 1510s.

provost

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of provost

Examples from the Web for provost

British Dictionary definitions for provost

provost

noun

Word Origin for provost

Word Origin and History for provost

provost