v. t. To provoke excessively. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. provocation, L. provocatio. See Provoke. ] 1. The act of provoking, or causing vexation or, anger. Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which provokes, or excites anger; the cause of resentment; as, to give provocation. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Incitement; stimulus; as, provocation to mirth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) Such prior insult or injury as may be supposed, under the circumstances, to create hot blood, and to excuse an assault made in retort or redress. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An appeal to a court. [ A Latinism ] [ Obs. ] Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. provocativus: cf. OF. provocatif. ] Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Anything that is provocative; a stimulant; as, a provocative of appetite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being provocative. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Provocative. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be provoked. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Provoked p. pr. & vb. n. Provoking. ] [ F. provoquer, L. provocare to call forth; pro forth + vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice, cry, call. See Voice. ] To call forth; to call into being or action; esp., to incense to action, a faculty or passion, as love, hate, or ambition; hence, commonly, to incite, as a person, to action by a challenge, by taunts, or by defiance; to exasperate; to irritate; to offend intolerably; to cause to retaliate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Obey his voice, provoke him not. Ex. xxiii. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. Eph. vi. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such acts
Of contumacy will provoke the Highest
To make death in us live. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust? Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

To the poet the meaning is what he pleases to make it, what it provokes in his own soul. J. Burroughs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To irritate; arouse; stir up; awake; excite; incite; anger. See Irritate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To cause provocation or anger. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To appeal. [ A Latinism ] [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act that which, provokes; one who excites anger or other passion, or incites to action; as, a provoker of sedition. [ 1913 Webster ]

Drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the power or quality of exciting resentment; tending to awaken passion or vexation; as, provoking words or treatment. -- Pro*vok"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ OF. provost (L. prae and pro being confused), F. prevôt, fr. L. praepositus placed before, a chief, fr. praeponere to place before: cf. AS. prāfost, prōfast. See Preposition, and cf. Propound. ] 1. A person who is appointed to superintend, or preside over, something; the chief magistrate in some cities and towns; as, the provost of Edinburgh or of Glasgow, answering to the mayor of other cities; the provost of a college, answering to president; the provost or head of certain collegiate churches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The keeper of a prison. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Provost marshal (a) (Mil.) An officer appointed in every army, in the field, to secure the prisoners confined on charges of a general nature. He also performs such other duties pertaining to police and discipline as the regulations of the service or the commander's orders impose upon him. (b) (Nav.) An officer who has charge of prisoners on trial by court-martial, serves notices to witnesses, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a provost. [ 1913 Webster ]