chaperon

British  

/ ˈʃæpərənɪdʒ, ˈʃæpəˌrəʊn /

noun

1. (esp formerly) an older or married woman who accompanies or supervises a young unmarried woman on social occasions

2. someone who accompanies and supervises a group, esp of young people, usually when in public places

---

verb

1. to act as a chaperon to

Other Word Forms

• chaperonage noun

Etymology

Origin of chaperon

C14: from Old French, from chape hood, protective covering; see _cap

Example Sentences

A few hours earlier, he found himself distracted by a fast-approaching appointment to chaperon his teenage son to his driver’s license test.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2023

The three girls aged 13, 10, and 9 arrived early in the morning Thursday, were detained and barred entry into the country along with their cousin chaperon who immigration authorities deemed “inadmissible.”

From Slate • Jul. 19, 2019

Lubin positioned himself as the grownup in the room, the worldly chaperon.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 15, 2018

At the outset, the company plans on offering fully autonomous rides, with a Waymo employee in the car only as a chaperon.

From The Verge • Aug. 21, 2018

Mr. Tamba told her that he was the CAW chaperon going on the trip with us and that he would make sure that we returned to Sierra Leone at the end of the conference.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah