chaperone

C1 Topic:People & Society

Also spelled chaperon

US /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/ UK /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹəʊn/ See IPA manual

Freq #16216

Meanings

1

noun
a responsible adult who accompanies and supervises one or more younger people, historically for safety and social propriety

A teacher acted as chaperone during the overnight trip.
2

verb
to accompany or supervise a person or group as a chaperone

Several parents volunteered to chaperone the school dance.
3

noun
biology: a protein that helps other proteins fold correctly by binding to and stabilizing their unfolded or partly folded forms

The molecular chaperone helps newly made proteins fold correctly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a responsible adult who... escort supervisor guardian attendant

2 verb · to accompany or supervise a... accompany escort supervise

3 noun · biology: a protein that... molecular chaperonechaperone protein

Word family

Derived forms chaperonagechaperonincochaperonechaperoneless

Related forms chaperonescort guardian supervisionprotein foldingheat shock protein

Etymology

From French chaperon, literally 'hood,' from chape, 'cape.' The French word developed the figurative sense of a protector or companion, as though providing a social covering. Chaperone is a later English spelling of chaperon. Biology adopted the term for proteins that guide and protect other proteins while they fold.

Topics

People & Society

External links

# chaperone

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʃæ.pəˌɹəʊn/
**Frequency rank:** 16216

## Meanings
1. a responsible adult who accompanies and supervises one or more younger people, historically for safety and social propriety
2. to accompany or supervise a person or group as a chaperone
3. biology: a protein that helps other proteins fold correctly by binding to and stabilizing their unfolded or partly folded forms

## Examples
- A teacher acted as chaperone during the overnight trip.
- Several parents volunteered to chaperone the school dance.
- The molecular chaperone helps newly made proteins fold correctly.

## Synonyms
- escort
- supervisor
- guardian
- attendant
- accompany
- supervise
- molecular chaperone

## Derived Forms
- chaperonage
- chaperonin
- cochaperone
- chaperoneless

## Related Forms
- chaperon
- escort
- guardian
- supervision
- protein folding
- heat shock protein

## Etymology
From French chaperon, literally 'hood,' from chape, 'cape.' The French word developed the figurative sense of a protector or companion, as though providing a social covering. Chaperone is a later English spelling of chaperon. Biology adopted the term for proteins that guide and protect other proteins while they fold.

## Topics
- People & Society

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