Also 5–6 -vysour, 5–7 -visour, 7 -viser. [ad. med.L. supervīsor, f. supervīs- (see SUPERVISE). Cf. OF. superviseur (16th c.).] One who supervises.
1. A person who exercises general direction or control over a business, a body of workmen, etc.; one who inspects and directs the work of others.
Supervisor of the Excise: an officer who supervised and inspected the books, etc., of the inferior officers of the department.
1454. in H. Anstey, Epist. Acad. Oxon. (O.H.S.), I. 326. William Churche, supervisor of þe werks of þe sayd scollis.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 1808. And here I make the vpon Lyberte To be superuysour.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 132. Him he sets not as a suruayour and ouerseer of his manors, but a superuisour of hys childrens conditions and manners.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. xxi. 212. Bishop Andrews ever placed the picture of Mulcaster his Schoolmaster over the doore of his study … as to be his Tutour and Supervisour.
1667. in Pettus, Fodinæ Reg. (1670), 38. A Supervisor of the Mills and Works.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2428/4. Captain Robert Bathurst, Collector, and John Gilloway, Supervisor, of Excise.
1771. Burke, Lett. to R. Shackleton, 31 July. Mr. Vansittart, and Mr. Ford, and Scraften, were the only supervisors for the company on board the unfortunate Aurora.
1845. Ford, Handbk. Spain, I. 123. The sole supervisor of all the edifices of the Peninsula.
1883. in A. J. Adderley, Fisheries Bahamas, 50. Mr. Gregor Buccich, a telegraph supervisor, in the island of Lesina, in Dalmatia.
1884. Manch. Exam., 6 Dec., 5/5. Mr. Constantine, supervisor of excise, seized the plant [of an illicit still].
† b. A person appointed by a testator to supervise the executors of the will; = OVERSEER sb. 1 b.
1456. Paston Lett., I. 372. The said bille to be put up to the Kyng, whiche is chief supervisor of my said Lordis testament.
1496. in Somerset Med. Wills (1901), 340. I make John Fitziames the yonger supervysour and I bequethe to him for his laboure 10 s.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 56. Other famous and godly men (as superuisours of his testamente).
1583–93. Greene, Mamillia, II. Wks. (Grosart), II. 240. For the performance of my will, I leaue the whole Senate as superuisors.
1637. Wotton, in Reliq. (1672), 54. I do pray the foresaid Dr. Bargrave, and Mr. Nicholas Pey, together with Mr. John Harrison … to be Supervisors of this my last Will and Testament.
1672. Cowell’s Interpr., s.v., It was anciently, and still is a Custom among some, especially of the better sort, to make a Supervisor of a Will, but it is to little purpose.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, V. 270. Time … do I make The Supervisor of my Will.
1767. Burn, Eccl. Law (ed. 2), IV. 97, marg. Supervisors [text, Overseers of a will].
c. An inspector of highways; now only U.S. a road-master on a railway.
1555. Act 2 & 3 Ph. & M., c. 8 § 1. Yf the Cariages … shall not be thought nedefull by the Supervisors to bee occupyed upon any of the said days.
1755. Dict. Arts & Sci., IV. s.v., Supervisor formerly was used for surveyor of the highways.
1868. Road supervisor [see ROAD sb. 10 b].
1898. Engineering Mag., XVI. 65. He is often assisted by … a master carpenter, master mason, and track-supervisors, the latter having charge of the track on a sub-division of the line.
† d. A keeper or curator. Obs. rare.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 431. Cosmo the great Duke of Tuscany … made him Supervisor of his Medals.
e. In some of the United States, An elected officer, or one of a board of such officers, charged with the administration of a township. (Cf. SELECTMAN.)
1882. A. Shaw, in Fortn. Rev., Oct., 491. The supervisor is both a town and a county officer. He is general manager of town business, and is also a member of the County Board, which is composed of the supervisors of the several towns.
† 2. An onlooker, spectator, observer. Obs.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. iii. 395 (Qo. 1). Would you the supervisor, grossly gape on?
1610. Histrio-m., II. 234. These admirable wits of Italy … Are curious supervisours over strangers.
3. One who reads over, esp. for the purpose of correction; a reviser. Now rare or Obs.
1624. Bedell, Lett., vi. 101. The Superuisors … of the Canon Law,… acknowledge, that … this sentence is not found.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., Pref. p. iii. I am now inform’d both of the Author and Supervisers of his Pamphlet.
1732. Bentley, Milton’s P. L., Pref. a iij. That Edition is without Faults; because He [sc. Milton] … had chang’d his old Printer and Supervisor.
1808. W. Wilson, Hist. Diss. Ch., I. 44. Archbishop Bancroft, who was supervisor of the present translation, altered it in fourteen places.
1881. N. T. (Rev. Vers.), Pref. 8. These supervisors [of the 1611 version] are said by one authority to have been six in number, and by another twelve.
