chaperon
/ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.07 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An adult who accompanies or supervises one or more young, unmarried men or women during social occasions, usually with the specific intent of preventing some types of social or sexual interactions or illegal behavior.
noun
A type of hood, often ornamental or official, with an attached cape and a tail, later worn as a hat with the face hole put over the top of the head instead.
verb
To mother.
Example Sentences
- ""I am, as it were," she concluded, "the chaperon of my young cousin, Lucy, and it would be a serious thing if I put her under an obligation to people of whom we know nothing. His manner was somewhat unfortunate. I hope I acted for the best.""
- "His head and face cover'd with a chaperon, out of which there are but two holes to look through."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/
- British English: /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹəʊn/