portreeve
noun
port·reeve
ˈpōrt‧ˌrēv
variants or portgrave or portgreve
-tˌgrāv
-tˌgrēv
plural -s
1
: a bailiff or mayor charged with keeping the peace and with other duties in a port or market borough of early England
2
: the chief officer of a seaport town
Word History
Etymology
portreeve from Middle English portereve, portreve, from Old English portgerēfa, from port + gerēfa reeve; portgreve, Middle English, alteration (influenced by Old English portgerēfa) of portreve; portgrave, alteration (influenced by Middle Dutch portgrave portreeve) of portgreve