chaperone

noun [C] (also chaperon)

/ˈʃæp.ə.rəʊn/

/-ɚ.oʊn/

Definition

› (especially in the past) an older person, especially a woman, who goes with and takes care of a younger woman who is not married when she is in public: humorous She's asked me to go to the cinema with her and Andrew, I think as a sort of chaperone.Protection and protectorsEnvironmental issues › a female nurse who is in the same room when a female patient is examined by a male doctor, or a police officer who protects a person injured by a criminal when they are in publicDoctors and health workers generallyPeople who work for the police service › US an older person who is present at a social event for young people to encourage correct behaviour: Several parents acted as chaperones for the school disco.Supporters, members and defendersBelievers and non-believers

(Definition of chaperone noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)