reeves
n. countablen. local officials in charge of a town or district in the past. In some parts of Canada today, this is still the title for the head of a local government.
n. historical administrative officials with local jurisdiction; in modern Canadian English, the elected head of a rural municipal council.
The reeve led the town council meeting.
In medieval England, the reeve was responsible for overseeing the lord's lands and ensuring the peasants completed their work.
While the term has largely vanished from British administrative use, several Canadian provinces retain the title of reeve for the chief executive officer of a rural municipality.
Plural form of 'reeve'. When referring to the historical office, it often appears in texts concerning feudalism or medieval law.