I. noun
or chap·er·on ˈsha-pə-ˌrōn
Etymology: French chaperon, literally, hood, from Middle French, head covering, from chape
Date: 1720
1. : a person (as a matron) who for propriety 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
3. : any of a class of proteins that facilitate the proper folding of proteins by binding to and stabilizing unfolded or partially folded proteins — called also molecular chaperone
II. verb
or chaperon
( -oned ; -on·ing )
Date: 1796
transitive verb
1. : escort
2. : to act as chaperone to or for
chaperone a dance
chaperoning teenagers
intransitive verb
: to act as a chaperone
• chap·er·on·age -ˌrō-nij noun