Prōv'ōst, n.

(prōv'ust) (Synop., § 130), n. [O. Fr. provost, provos, prevost, N. Fr. prévôt, Pr. prebost, Sp. & Pg. preboste, It. prevosto, preposto, preposito, from Lat. præpositus, placed before, a chief, from præponere, to place before, from præ, before, and ponere, to set or place; A-S. prâfost, prôfust, D. provoost, prevoost, Icel. profastr, Dan. provst, Sw. prost, Ger. profosz, probost, propst.] A person who is appointed to superintend or preside over something; the chief magistrate of a city or town; as, the provost of Edinburgh or of Glasgow, answering to the mayor of other cities; the provost of a college, answering to president.

¶ In France, formerly, a provost was an inferior judge who had cognizance of civil causes. The grand provost of France, or of the household, had jurisdiction in the king's house, and over its officers.