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noun

chaperone

SHA-puh-rohn

Chaperone (noun) means an adult who accompanies and supervises younger people at a social event, to make sure things stay appropriate. Example: “Her mother acted as chaperone on the school field trip.”

noun
1
An adult who accompanies and supervises younger people at a social event, to make sure things stay appropriate.
"Her mother acted as chaperone on the school field trip."
"The prom had several teacher chaperones keeping an eye on things."
2
In biology, a protein that helps other molecules fold correctly without becoming part of the final structure itself.
"Heat-shock proteins act as chaperones, helping damaged proteins refold."
verb
1
To supervise and accompany someone, typically at an event.
"Two parents volunteered to chaperone the overnight trip."

How to use chaperone

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo supervise young people at a social event, or the person doing the supervising; also a helper protein in biology.

Common pairings
act as chaperone chaperone a dance molecular chaperone

Word forms

chaperoned past tense, chaperones plural, chaperones singular

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Her mother acted as _____ on the school field trip.

Etymology

The now-standard spelling of chaperon, from French chaperon ("hood").

Origin: French

Related words

Rhymes for chaperone

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Frequently asked questions

What does “chaperone” mean?

The word “chaperone” means an adult who accompanies and supervises younger people at a social event, to make sure things stay appropriate. In plain terms, to supervise young people at a social event, or the person doing the supervising; also a helper protein in biology.

How do you pronounce “chaperone”?

“Chaperone” is pronounced SHA-puh-rohn (/ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/ in IPA).

How do you use “chaperone” in a sentence?

Here is “chaperone” used in a sentence: “Her mother acted as chaperone on the school field trip.”

What part of speech is “chaperone”?

Depending on how it is used, “chaperone” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “chaperone” come from?

The word “chaperone” comes from French. The now-standard spelling of chaperon, from French chaperon ("hood").

How many meanings does “chaperone” have?

“Chaperone” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an adult who accompanies and supervises younger people at a social event, to make sure things stay appropriate.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial