prefect
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English prefect and prefecte, from Old French prefect (Mod. French préfet), from Latin praefectus (“one placed in charge, overseer, director, prefect”), from praeficere (“to place in charge”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
prefect (plural prefects)
- (historical) An official of Ancient Rome who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.
- the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, or of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person
- 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 196:
- Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga - perhaps too much dice, you know - coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes.
- 1951, Arthur Waley, The Life and Times of Po Chü-i[1], London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, page 33:
- It seems that in the autumn of 803 he went on leave. His uncle Po Chi-chên, had recently been moved from his post at Hsü-chou and promoted to be Prefect of Hsü-chʻang in Central Honan.
- The head of a department in France.
- The head of a county in Albania or Romania.
- The head of a prefecture in Japan.
- (British) A school pupil in a position of power over other pupils.
- A commander.
Synonyms edit
- (Roman office): provost (obs.)
Related terms edit
Translations edit
an official of ancient Rome
the head of a prefecture, whether a Japanese prefecture, French department, or Balkan county
a school pupil in a position of power over other pupils
a commander
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Anagrams edit
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin praefectus.
Noun edit
prefect m (plural prefecți)
- prefect (head of county in Romania)
Declension edit
Declension of prefect
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) prefect | prefectul | (niște) prefecți | prefecții |
genitive/dative | (unui) prefect | prefectului | (unor) prefecți | prefecților |
vocative | prefectule | prefecților |