Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person. 2. (n.) A superintendent of a department who has control of its police establishment, together with extensive powers of municipal regulation. 3. (n.) In the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, a title of certain dignitaries below the rank of bishop.

Multi-Version Concordance Prefect (2 Occurrences) Acts 28:16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered up the prisoners to the praetorian prefect, but Paul was allowed to remain by himself with the soldier who kept him. (DBY) Daniel 2:48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. (See JPS NAS RSV)