Praefect

[pree-fekt] /ˈpri fɛkt/

noun
1.
.
[pree-fekt] /ˈpri fɛkt/
noun
1.
a person appointed to any of various positions of command, authority, or superintendence, as a chief magistrate in ancient Rome or the chief administrative official of a department of France or Italy.
2.
Roman Catholic Church.

3.
Chiefly British. a praeposter.
/ˈpriːfɛkt/
noun
1.
a variant spelling of prefect (sense 4), prefect (sense 5), prefect (sense 6), prefect (sense 7)
/ˈpriːfɛkt/
noun
1.
(in France, Italy, etc) the chief administrative officer in a department
2.
(in France, etc) the head of a police force
3.
(Brit) a schoolchild appointed to a position of limited power over his fellows
4.
(in ancient Rome) any of several magistrates or military commanders
5.
(RC Church) Also called prefect apostolic. an official having jurisdiction over a missionary district that has no ordinary
6.
(RC Church) one of two senior masters in a Jesuit school or college (the prefect of studies and the prefect of discipline or first prefect)
7.
(RC Church) a cardinal in charge of a congregation of the Curia
n.

mid-14c., “civil or military official,” from Old French prefect (12c., Modern French préfet) and directly from Latin praefectus “public overseer, superintendent, director,” noun use of past participle of praeficere “to put in front, to set over, put in authority,” from prae “in front, before” (see pre-) + root of facere (past participle factus) “to perform” (see factitious). Spelling restored from Middle English prefet. Meaning “administrative head of the Paris police” is from 1800; meaning “senior pupil designated to keep order in an English school” is from 1864. Related: Prefectorial.