escort
Americannoun
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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.
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a man or boy who accompanies a woman or girl in public, as to a social event.
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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)
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
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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
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( 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
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have been escortingperfect progressive
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has been escortingperfect progressive
Past
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escortedsimple
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had escortedperfect
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was escortingprogressive
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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:
MIAMI—My escort ducked his head into the empty TSA checkpoint 2 miles outside Miami International Airport and whispered, “We have a member arriving.‘
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the dead of night on Friday, a large yellow truck led by a police escort made its way through the empty streets of London.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Two F-35 jets then flew from the Prince of Wales to escort the Bear-F away from the Carrier Strike Group.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
At the hospital, Jack learns that the man behind the wheel was Governor George McRyan, a presidential hopeful polling extremely well in the primaries, who left a campaign event with Sally as his escort.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
A housemother appeared, waiting to take me inside and nodding that my escort could be on his way.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
And then “San Marcos el Fin” gently escorts the listener out of this particular room.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 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
That operation, which involved U.S. naval and air escorts, was halted after Iran began attacking vessels, and Saudi Arabia restricted U.S. access to its bases and airspace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
The Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French navy, and its escorts were transiting through the Suez Canal en route to the southern Red Sea, the defence ministry said.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
It’s never going to be witness to brilliant ideas at eleven o’clock at night, or police escorts because someone set off the alarm.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
As Spain lifted the trophy, Infantino escorted the president off the podium and away from the celebration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
That night, they were escorted onto the baseball diamond in an armored car with a security detail of some 200 police officers in tow.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
On the eve of her race at the competition in Edinburgh, she was banned from competing and escorted from the athletes' village by police.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
When the game ended with another St. Louis victory, Marmol escorted the team into the Cardinals clubhouse to meet the players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Matthias escorted his friend to where the basket lay by the Abbey walls.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Police began escorting residents and campers back to properties and campsites to collect personal belongings on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The U.S. seems to be escorting some tankers through the Strait, and Central Command’s Adm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 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
Local villagers whom he regularly employs to assist him in escorting groups up Dukono also did not tell him anything about the prohibition, he added.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
His lord father had come first, escorting the queen.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
