From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishProvostProv‧ost, provost /ˈprɒvəst $ ˈproʊvoʊst/ noun [countable] 1 SECthe person in charge of a college in some British universities, especially at Oxford or Cambridge2 SECan important official at a university in the US3 PGO old use the leader of the council in some Scottish towns and cities
Examples from the Corpus
Provost• We were tried before the Provost of Paris the next morning.• Anyway, I went to the Provost of Paris.Origin provost (900-1000) Old French Latin praepositus “someone in charge, leader”, from praeponere “to put in front” 