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
variants
or less commonly chaperon
chaperoned; chaperoning
1
: escort
2
: to act as chaperone to or for
chaperone a dance
chaperoning teenagers
: to act as a chaperone
Two parents chaperoned at the school dance.
Synonyms
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
Christina Newland, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024
Dozens of other children and chaperones were rushed by ground and air to the hospital with broken bones, severe cuts and bruises — left with a lasting nightmare that replays in their minds.
—Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 17 July 2024
Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
At age 20, her date with a male friend was chaperoned, and her pastor father policed such interactions with vigilance.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaperone 
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Noun
Smith is Charlotte, older cousin and chaperone to our unmarried protagonist Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter).
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024
Dozens of other children and chaperones were rushed by ground and air to the hospital with broken bones, severe cuts and bruises — left with a lasting nightmare that replays in their minds.
—Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 17 July 2024
Verb
Six Flags Over Texas now requires children under 15 to be chaperoned by someone over 21 after 4pm.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
At age 20, her date with a male friend was chaperoned, and her pastor father policed such interactions with vigilance.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaperone
Dictionary Entries Near chaperone
Cite this Entry
“Chaperone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaperone. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaperone
1 of 2 noun
chap·er·one
variants
or chaperon
: 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,
Andres M. Lozano et al., Scientific American,called also molecular chaperone
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