escort

1 of 2

noun

es·​cort ˈe-ˌskȯrt 

plural escorts

1

a(1)

: a person or group of persons accompanying another to give protection, provide supervision, or as a courtesy

a police escort

Visitors are not allowed to enter the building without an escort.

(2)

: a man who goes with a woman to a social event

(3)

: a person and especially a sex worker who is hired to go with someone to a social event

—often used before another noun

an escort service/agency

b

: a protective screen of warships or fighter planes or a single ship or plane used to fend off enemy attack from one or more vulnerable craft

2

: accompaniment by a person or an armed protector (such as a ship)

escort

2 of 2

verb

es·​cort i-ˈskȯrt 

e-, 

ˈe-ˌskȯrt 

escorted; escorting; escorts

transitive verb

: to accompany as an escort

Synonyms of escort

Noun

• guide
• guard
• attendant
• companion

Verb

• accompany

Examples of escort in a Sentence

Noun

Visitors are not allowed to enter the building without an escort.

The bombers were protected by a fighter escort.

Everyone was surprised when she arrived at the party without an escort.

Verb

Several fighters escorted the bombers back to base.

a student from the college escorted my parents and me on our tour of the campus

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The motorcycle procession included a police escort for safety. — Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026

The vessel was hired in late 2024 by a production operating under the working title Charlie’s Tale and appeared as one of the escort ships in the film‘s Viking flotilla. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 24 July 2026

Verb

Rescued by Tamijuddin, a Muslim friend of her father’s, the adolescent Sutara is nursed back to health by his family before being escorted safely to her brothers in Calcutta. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

About 1,840 people were escorted out of Canada last year, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French escorte, from Italian scorta, from scorgere to guide, from Vulgar Latin *excorrigere, from Latin ex- + corrigere to make straight, correct — more at correct

First Known Use

Noun

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing escort

• destroyer escort

Rhymes for escort

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• disport
• distort
• exhort
• extort

Kids Definition

escort

1 of 2 noun

es·​cort ˈes-ˌkȯ(ə)rt 

1

: a person or group of persons accompanying another to give protection or show courtesy

2

: the man who goes on a date with a woman

3

: a protective screen of vehicles, warships, or planes

motorcycle escort

fighter escort

escort

2 of 2 verb

es·​cort is-ˈkȯ(ə)rt  es-ˈ 

ˈes-ˌ

: to go along with as an escort