provost

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
provost /ˈprɒvəst/

▶noun

• 1 Brit. the position of head in certain university colleges and public schools.

  ■ N. Amer. a senior administrative officer in certain universities.

• 2 Scottish term for mayor.

• 3 the head of a chapter in a cathedral.

  ■ the Protestant minister of the principal church of a town or district, especially in Germany.

  ■ historical the head of a Christian community.

• 4 /prɒˈvəʊ/ short for provost marshal.

• 5 historical the chief magistrate of a European town.

– derivatives
provostship noun.

– origin OE profost ‘head of a chapter, prior’, reinforced in ME by Anglo-Norman Fr. provost, from med. L. propositus, synonym of L. praepositus (see praepostor).