escort

American  

[es-kawrt, ih-skawrt] / ˈɛs kɔrt, ɪˈskɔrt /

noun

1. a group of persons, or a single person, accompanying another or others for protection, guidance, or courtesy.

   An escort of sailors accompanied the queen.

2. an armed guard, as a body of soldiers or ships.

   The president traveled with a large escort of motorcycle police.

3. a man or boy who accompanies a woman or girl in public, as to a social event.

4. a person, especially a woman female escort, but sometimes a man male escort, who is paid to go on a date with a client, and usually to engage in sex acts for money.

5. protection, safeguard, or guidance on a journey.

   to travel without escort.

   Synonyms:

   convoy

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verb (used with object)

1. to attend or accompany as an escort.

   Synonyms:

   guide , take , chaperone , squire , usher , conduct

escort British  

noun

1. one or more persons, soldiers, vehicles, etc, accompanying another or others for protection, guidance, restraint, or as a mark of honour

2. a man or youth who accompanies a woman or girl

   he was her escort for the evening

3. 1. a person, esp a young woman, who may be hired to accompany another for entertainment, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      an escort agency

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verb

1. (tr) to accompany or attend as an escort

Related Words

See accompany.

Other Word Forms

• unescorted adjective
• well-escorted adjective

Etymology

Origin of escort

First recorded in 1570–80; from French, from Italian scorta, derivative of scorgere “to conduct, guide,” from Vulgar Latin excorrigere (unrecorded); ex- ¹, correct

Example Sentences

There in Africa, smugglers link up with al Qaeda-affiliated groups that escort the cargoes north and extort payments from the overland convoys, said current and former rebel leaders in northern Mali.

From The Wall Street Journal

After an officer tries to escort her off the premises, Norma Rae defiantly stands on a workstation in protest and holds up a sign.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fuel tanker convoys have started returning to Bamako due to escorts provided by the army and Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps -- the successor to the Wagner group -- under aerial surveillance.

From Barron's

A man who attacked Pope John Paul II in 1981 was escorted from the Turkish town of Iznik on Thursday ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit there, Turkish media reported.

From Barron's

D.C.’s local police had also increased patrols in the areas where troops were staying and at times provided police escorts for them, the attorney general’s office told the court.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accompany
• bring
• carry
• drag
• guide
• protect
• steer
• usher