chaperone

1 of 2

noun

chap·​er·​one ˈsha-pə-ˌrōn 

variants or less commonly chaperon

1

: a person (such as a matron) who for propriety (see propriety sense 2) accompanies one or more young unmarried women in public or in mixed company

2

: an older person who accompanies young people at a social gathering to ensure proper behavior

broadly : one delegated to ensure proper behavior

I was a chaperone on one of my son's class trips.

3

: any of a class of proteins (such as heat shock proteins) that facilitate the proper folding of proteins by binding to and stabilizing unfolded or partially folded proteins

called also molecular chaperone

chaperone

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly chaperon

chaperoned; chaperoning

transitive verb

1

: escort

2

: to act as chaperone to or for

chaperone a dance

chaperoning teenagers

intransitive verb

: to act as a chaperone

Two parents chaperoned at the school dance.

chaperonage

ˈsha-pə-ˌrō-nij 

noun

Synonyms

Verb

• accompany
• attend
• companion
• company
• convoy
• escort
• see
• squire

Examples of chaperone in a Sentence

Noun

I was a chaperone on one of my son's school trips.

Verb

Two parents chaperoned the children.

My mom always chaperoned the school dances.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ferrari continued her role as chaperone when Pellettiere joined the high school. —Emilie Ikeda, NBC News, 22 Sep. 2023

And the cousin of one of her chaperones on this trip turned out to be Frank Gilbreth. —Johanna Mayer, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023

One chaperone can accompany up to 10 guests ages 15 years old or younger and must stay with them the entire time. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2023

Students from Tuscarawas Valley were traveling with chaperones to the Ohio School Boards Association conference, which was being held about 100 miles west in Columbus, according to Derek Varansky, the superintendent of the Tuscarawas Valley School District. —CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023

Meanwhile, several amusement parks with chaperone policies are generally requiring teens 15 years old or younger to be accompanied with adult chaperones after 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. every day. —Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 29 May 2023

But on the morning of May 30, 2005 — the final day of the trip — Beth received a phone call from one of the seven adult chaperones. —Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 18 Oct. 2023

Just keep in mind that this attraction is not for the faint of heart: No one under 16 is allowed without a chaperone; however, per the website, it’s highly recommended that those under 12 sit this one out. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2023

Adult chaperones must present a valid ID upon entry starting at 5 p.m. Minors and chaperones are not required to remain together once inside the fairgrounds. —Tommy Cummings, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023

Verb

More:New Indiana State Fair policy requires youth under 18 to be chaperoned after 6 p.m. Some reserved-viewing tickets will be sold later in the summer through indianastatefair.com. —Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 21 June 2023

On arrival, she is chaperoned by a cynical uncle (Nagase) to uncover the mystery of her strange dreams and her mother’s disappearance years ago. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023

So when mom decided to retire, Gina asked her to come back and chaperone the band camp trips. —Holly Yan, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023

More:New Indiana State Fair policy requires youth under 18 to be chaperoned after 6 p.m. John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 June 2023

In tandem with the aforementioned stranger, Beatrice Steele eagerly sets out to reveal the killer, chaperoned by a female playwright whose voluminous hats hold many surprises. —Alida Becker, New York Times, 28 July 2023

The main story concerns the relationship — if that’s even the right word, in a tale in which everyone seems to be merely going through the motions — between Augie and Midge, who are chaperoning their respective kids (Jake Ryan and Grace Edwards) at the space camp. —Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 20 June 2023

State Fair curfew:New Indiana State Fair policy requires youth under 18 to be chaperoned after 6 p.m. How to enter the mullet contest To be considered, anyone interested in competing has to submit an application here. —Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2023

So Cecilia would ride her bicycle into the lab chaperoned and in a full-length dress and hat as was expected for a woman to be seen in town. —Lucy Evans, Scientific American, 22 June 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French chaperon, literally, hood, from Middle French, head covering, from chape

First Known Use

Noun

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1802, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing chaperone

• molecular chaperone

• molecular chaperone

Kids Definition

chaperone

1 of 2 noun

chap·​er·​one

variants or chaperon

ˈshap-ə-ˌrōn 

: a person who goes with and is responsible for a young woman or a group of young people (as at a dance)

chaperone

2 of 2 verb

variants or chaperon

chaperoned; chaperoning

: to act or go with as a chaperone

Etymology

Noun

from French chaperon "chaperone," literally, "hood," derived from early French chape "cape," from Latin cappa "head covering, cloak" — related to cape entry 2, chapel

Medical Definition

chaperone

noun

chap·​er·​one ˈshap-ə-ˌrōn 

variants or chaperone protein

: any of a class of proteins (such as heat shock proteins and chaperonins) that facilitate the proper folding of proteins by binding to and stabilizing unfolded or partially folded proteins

As the proteins are produced, molecules called chaperones fold them into the three-dimensional form they are supposed to take.

—Andres M. Lozano et al., Scientific American,

called also molecular chaperone