pri·or 2 
(prīər)
(prīər)n.
1. A monastic officer in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbot of an abbey.
2. One of the ruling magistrates of the medieval Italian republic of Florence.
[Middle English priour, from Old English and Old French prior, both from Medieval Latin, from Latin, superior; see per1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
prior·ate (-ĭt), prior·ship′ (-shĭp′) n.