chaperone

American  

[shap-uh-rohn] / ˈʃæp əˌroʊn /

Or chaperon

noun

1. a person, usually a married or older woman, who, for propriety, accompanies a young unmarried woman in public or who attends a party of young unmarried men and women.

   Synonyms:

   escort

2. any adult present in order to maintain order or propriety at an activity of young people, as at a school dance.

3. a round headdress of stuffed cloth with wide cloth streamers that fall from the crown or are draped around it, worn in the 15th century.

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verb (used with object)

1. to attend or accompany as chaperone.

   Synonyms:

   escort

verb (used without object)

1. to act as chaperone.

Other Word Forms

• chaperonage noun
• chaperonless adjective

Etymology

Origin of chaperone

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Middle French: “hood, cowl,” equivalent to chape cape ¹ + -eron noun suffix; figurative sense from French (18th century)

Example Sentences

Sporting brown berets and screen-printed vests with colorful hand-sewn badges, they followed chaperones inside as guests waiting in line recognized them.

From Los Angeles Times

“So, is it true that Douglas Fairbanks swore to your father that he would personally chaperone you all the time you were on the set?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

From Literature

But some of the players - who were accompanied by chaperones - reportedly told reporters that they wanted to go back to Iran.

From BBC

With Brie chaperoning from down the hall, but I leave that part out.

From Literature

James Cockayne, an Australian anti-slavery official, tells us there are “concerns that the women are being accompanied by chaperones and minders from the Iranian regime who are controlling their ability to move and speak freely.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• matron