chaperon
or chap·er·one
[ shap-uh-rohn ]
/ ˈʃæp əˌroʊn /
noun
a person, usually a married or older woman, who, for propriety, accompanies a young unmarried woman in public or who attends a party of young unmarried men and women.
any adult present in order to maintain order or propriety at an activity of young people, as at a school dance.
a round headdress of stuffed cloth with wide cloth streamers that fall from the crown or are draped around it, worn in the 15th century.
verb (used with object)
to attend or accompany as chaperon.
verb (used without object)
to act as chaperon.
Origin of chaperon
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French: hood, cowl, equivalent to
chape
cape1 +
-eron noun suffix; figurative sense < French (18th century)
OTHER WORDS FROM chaperon
chap·er·on·age [shap-uh-roh-nij] /ˈʃæp əˌroʊ nɪdʒ/, noun chap·er·on·less, adjectiveWords nearby chaperon
chapel,
chapel de fer,
chapel hill,
chapel of ease,
chapelry,
chaperon,
chaperone,
chapess,
chapfallen,
chapiter,
chaplain
Example sentences from the Web for chaperon
British Dictionary definitions for chaperon
chaperon
chaperone
/ (ˈʃæpəˌrəʊn) /
noun
(esp formerly) an older or married woman who accompanies or supervises a young unmarried woman on social occasions
someone who accompanies and supervises a group, esp of young people, usually when in public places
verb
to act as a chaperon to
Derived forms of chaperon
chaperonage (ˈʃæpərənɪdʒ), nounWord Origin for chaperon
C14: from Old French, from
chape hood, protective covering; see
cap