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.
-
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)
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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
-
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
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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
-
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:
Patel also directed Wilkins’ security detail to escort one of her allegedly drunk friends home after a night out in Nashville, MS Now reported in December 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Before Monday, no small boat arrivals to the UK coast without an escort had been officially recorded since September 6, 2025.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
In 2025, a female humpback whale was observed off the southern Gold Coast with an escort whale after apparently giving birth to a deceased calf.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Navy may have only another six months of blockade left in it before maintenance and equipment shortfalls force compromises in how we surveil, block and escort ships in the Persian Gulf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
We waited there again until they got us another escort to take us farther along the way, and we crossed over into New York, the first time I’d ever been in a colony besides Connecticut.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
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
When she’s youthful, Sophie catches the eye of a handsome, richly dressed stranger who gallantly escorts her away from two men harassing her on the street.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Indian authorities deployed air force jets and paramilitary escorts, and temporarily blocked Telegram to secure the retest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 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
LaToya escorts me through a series of metal doors and finally leads me to an empty room that’s cold, dull, and gray with white plastic tables and chairs.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
The fan eventually was escorted out of the seating area but was allowed to return to his seat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
But the parents of an 18-year-old whom Anisa escorted earlier in the week probably were buying peace of mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 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
Athlete videos were played inside the stadium before events and winners held centre-court style interviews before being escorted to a champions' enclosure, where they joined Bolt and master of ceremonies Noah Lyles.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Matthias escorted his friend to where the basket lay by the Abbey walls.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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
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
Smaller than a destroyer but bigger than a corvette, they perform a range of missions at sea, from escorting bigger ships to mine warfare and hunting submarines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 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
“Of course he’s safe. He’s just escorting your gomo because she’s too upset to go by herself. He’ll be perfectly fine. Don’t question that! You know better than to air such thoughts.”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
