What does chaperon mean?
A chaperon is a person who accompanies and oversees others, most commonly young people, to ensure proper conduct — for example at dances, parties, school trips, or dates. The role is historically tied to eras when unmarried women were expected to be escorted by a relative or respectable adult in social settings, which gives the word its faintly old-fashioned flavour even though it remains everyday vocabulary in schools and youth organizations. It also functions as a verb: parents volunteer to chaperon a class outing, and a teacher may be asked to chaperon students at a formal event. The spelling chaperone is now considerably more common than the shorter form chaperon, though both are fully accepted. Figuratively, the word occasionally describes anything that guides or protects a developing process. With its blend of supervision, protection, and propriety, chaperon captures a specific social role that few other English words express so precisely.
A person who accompanies and supervises others, especially young people on social occasions, to ensure appropriate behavior.
"Mrs. Whitfield acted as chaperon at the debutante ball."
In historical contexts, specifically an older woman accompanying a young unmarried woman.
To accompany and supervise someone, particularly young people, in social settings.
"Three parents volunteered to chaperon the prom."
Both plural spellings are accepted; 'chaperones' is more common in modern usage.
"The school required two chaperons for every ten students on the trip."
Before it meant a guardian of virtue, a chaperon was literally a hood — French for 'head covering' — that kept you protected.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chaperon
Chaperon entered English from French around the early 18th century, deriving ultimately from 'chape', meaning hood or head-covering (from Late Latin 'cappa', related to cape). In France, a chaperon was originally a protective hood, and by extension the word came to denote a person who figuratively provided shelter or protection — especially one shielding a young unmarried woman's reputation. The longer spelling chaperone arose partly under the influence of words ending in '-one'. Related words sharing this Latin root include chapel, cape, and escapade.
Related word forms
How chaperon is actually used
Historically associated with strict Victorian social customs, the word now often appears in school and event contexts and can carry a faintly old-fashioned or humorous tone. The spelling 'chaperone' is far more common today than 'chaperon'.
Easily confused with chaperon
Chaperone is simply the more common spelling of the same word; both are correct, with 'chaperon' being the older French-derived form.