noun
chaperon
SHA-puh-rohn
noun
1
An older or responsible person who accompanies young people at a social event to supervise their behaviour.
"A chaperon stood near the school dance all evening."
verb
1
To accompany and supervise someone, especially a young person, at a social event.
"Her aunt chaperoned the trip to make sure the teenagers behaved."
How to Use Chaperon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo keep watch over young people at an event, or the person who does so.
UK vs US
Both "chaperon" and "chaperone" are used, but "chaperone" is now far more common in everyday writing.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
chaperoned past tense, chaperons plural, chaperons singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “chaperon”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ stood near the school dance all evening.
Etymology
From French chaperon, originally a type of hood, from chape ("cape, hood").