escort
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
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protection, safeguard, or guidance on a journey.
to travel without escort.
- Synonyms:
- convoy
verb (used with object)
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escorts,
present (3rd person singular)
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escorted,
past participle, past
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escorting
present participle
noun
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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
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-
a person, esp a young woman, who may be hired to accompany another for entertainment, etc
-
( as modifier )
an escort agency
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verb
Synonym Usage
See accompany.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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escortsimple
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escortssimple
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have escortedperfect
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has escortedperfect
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am escortingprogressive
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are escortingprogressive
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is escortingprogressive
-
have been escortingperfect progressive
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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:
The strategists said it’s unclear that the U.S. administration will want to maintain a permanent Middle East naval escort service that’s been helping more oil get out — “a critical unknown at this juncture.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
"This is the first time we have seen maritime militia escort a research vessel in Taiwan's waters," Wang said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
He added that the escort destroyer ships policing the blockade of Iran “are just as bad off, if not worse.”
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
But she says there are common requirements to hosting a Play Street, including an official “road closed” sign, physical barriers at each end, and volunteers who can escort residents in and out.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Here is your Royal Champion now—doubtless to escort me to your side.
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
Maybe threatening to attack is enough of a deterrent, and maybe military escorts are effective, Mills said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Worse, it may be losing control of the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. escorts increasing quantities of oil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Dry bulk ships might also start using it, especially if they can operate with icebreaker escorts.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 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
Constance was indignant, but there was no time for a full-blown argument to develop, for just then the children’s escorts arrived.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Shortly after Kiffin was escorted from the building, Ole Miss had FBI agents search their football facility, the Manning Athletics Performance Center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Generally speaking, however, tanker convoys, escorted by air and sea by the U.S. military, do the perilous transit through the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
In 2023, Parton was escorted onto the field by legendary Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the crowd in singing “Rocky Top” following the first quarter of the Volunteers’ game against the Georgia Bulldogs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
It said soldiers eventually stopped Sukkot and escorted his group out of Madama after reporting the incident to their commanders.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Miss Honeywell, a teacher and a grown woman, was escorted to the principal’s office like a bad boy walking the “paddle mile,” while a hallway aide watched her classroom.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Marshals escorting a 6-year-old Ruby Bridges to her newly integrated school, is showcased on a wall of its own, despite not belonging to Lucas or the museum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Police began escorting residents and campers back to properties and campsites to collect personal belongings on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 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
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on June 12 that the U.S. military was escorting ships carrying about 7 million barrels a day out of the Persian Gulf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
“The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You remember he told you that once?”
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
