escort
Americannoun
-
escorts
plural
-
a group of persons, or a single person, accompanying another or others for protection, guidance, or courtesy.
An escort of sailors accompanied the queen.
-
an armed guard, as a body of soldiers or ships.
The president traveled with a large escort of motorcycle police.
-
a man or boy who accompanies a woman or girl in public, as to a social event.
-
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.
-
protection, safeguard, or guidance on a journey.
to travel without escort.
- Synonyms:
- convoy
verb (used with object)
-
escorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
escorted,
past participle, past
-
escorting
present participle
noun
-
one or more persons, soldiers, vehicles, etc, accompanying another or others for protection, guidance, restraint, or as a mark of honour
-
a man or youth who accompanies a woman or girl
he was her escort for the evening
-
-
a person, esp a young woman, who may be hired to accompany another for entertainment, etc
-
( as modifier )
an escort agency
-
verb
Synonym Usage
See accompany.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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escortsimple
-
escortssimple
-
have escortedperfect
-
has escortedperfect
-
am escortingprogressive
-
are escortingprogressive
-
is escortingprogressive
-
have been escortingperfect progressive
-
has been escortingperfect progressive
Past
-
escortedsimple
-
had escortedperfect
-
was escortingprogressive
-
were escortingprogressive
-
had been escortingperfect progressive
Future
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); see ex- 1, correct
Explanation
When you go somewhere, whether it's for fun or business, it's always nice to have an escort — someone to go along with you. Some escorts are there to protect you, some just to share a good time. The word escort can be a noun or a verb — "your escort escorts you." This word is derived from the Latin excorrigere, "to set out," and moved through the Italian scorgere, meaning "to guide." In the 1570s it took on a military tone as escorte, used to describe armed protectors for travelers. In the 19th century it came to mean "accompanying a person on social occasions," although we still refer to military escorts today.
Vocabulary lists containing escort
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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Tears of a Tiger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
American, Delta and United will treat you like royalty at the airport with a personal escort, lounge access and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Mountain escort Wang Zhoutao guides a client up the steep steps of Mount Huangshan.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
She picked the Santa Monica apartment, Wright said, because it offered 24-hour on-site security personnel, video surveillance and an escort to and from the parking garage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Late Monday night, some 30 to 40 security forces were deployed to escort the family back to their home, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
‘My comrade will escort you to the ship that will take you to England. And then you’ll be free.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
U.S. military escorts have recently allowed more oil traffic to move through the Persian Gulf than before the conflict, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
His escorts asked the FBI to hurry up because onlookers were watching and he was placed on board the plane.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
SoFi Stadium aced the physical infrastructure with working elevators, wheelchair escorts and accessible seating with clear sightlines on every level.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
That refers to a “first group” of tankers or ship operators willing to cross the strait, likely with naval coordination and escorts.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
Mr. Mancini escorts her to a chair and offers her his handkerchief, since Papi’s is all wet and balled up.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
On Monday, a Wizz Air flight travelling from London Luton Airport to Sofia was escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet to Budapest after a mid-air bomb threat.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
A Wizz Air flight travelling from London Luton Airport to Sofia has been escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet to Budapest after a mid-air bomb threat.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
This is where being escorted started to pay off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Nevada was escorted out ... for being the best 3 year old in the world today,” read the video caption, which included a police officer emoji, raised hands and reference to a Bible chapter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
The soldier escorted Jake and Kojo to the National Military Command Center, what some called the War Room.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Security experts told BBC Verify this was part of an Iranian effort to assert greater control over the strait, in response to the US military successfully escorting more vessels through the vital shipping lane.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
After the anti-government M23 group took the key eastern regional capital Goma in January 2025, its forces were filmed escorting hundreds of Romanian paramilitaries out of the country via Rwanda.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Nearby hangs Rockwell’s famous 1964 oil painting showing marshals escorting 6-year-old Ruby Bridges to an integrated school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Nagraj, 46, managed the paid caregivers working at his in-laws’ house while coordinating doctors’ appointments for his father-in-law, and escorting him to them.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Soon after he was punched, Rufino had spotted me chatting at the front gate with Allen while a keeplock I was escorting to the hospital waited to the side.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
