| provost | |
| 1. n. One placed in charge: a head, a chief, particularly: | |
| 2. n. (religion, historical) A dean: the head of a cathedral chapter. | |
| 3. n. (religion) The head of various other ecclesiastical bodies, even (rare, obsolete) muezzins. | |
| 4. n. (religion) The minister of the chief Protestant church of a town or region in Germany, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia. | |
| 5. n. (higher education) The head of various colleges and universities. | |
| 6. n. (obsolete) A ruler. | |
| 7. n. 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, Flan | |
| 8. n. A senior deputy, a superintendent, particularly: | |
| 9. n. (religion, historical) A prior: an abbot's second-in-command. | |
| 10. n. (US, higher education) A senior deputy administrator; a vice-president of academic affairs. | |
| 11. n. (historical) A steward or seneschal: a medieval agent given management of a feudal estate or charged with collecting fees; (obsolete, sometimes as ~ of | |
| 12. n. (historical) Any manager or overseer in a medieval or early modern context. | |
| 13. n. (obsolete) A viceroy. | |
| 14. n. (obsolete) A governor. | |
| 15. n. (obsolete) A reeve. | |
| 16. n. (obsolete) Various Roman offices, as prefect and praetor. | |
| 17. n. (historical) A constable: a medieval or early modern official charged with arresting, holding, and punishing criminals. | |
| 18. n. (military) An officer of the military police, particularly provost marshal or provost sergeant. | |
| 19. n. (fencing, historical) An assistant fencing master. | |
| 20. n. (military slang) A provost cell: a military cell or prison. | |
| 21. v. 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. | |
