English

Noun

chaperone ‎(plural chaperones)

1. An older person who accompanies other younger people to ensure the propriety of their behaviour, often an older woman accompanying a young woman.
2. (biology) A protein that assists the non-covalent folding/unfolding and the assembly/disassembly of other macromolecular structures, but does not occur in these structures when the latter are performing their normal biological functions.

Derived terms

• chaperoneship
• cochaperone

Translations

Verb

chaperone ‎(third-person singular simple present chaperones, present participle chaperoning, simple past and past participle chaperoned)

1. to act as a chaperone
   • 1913, George Bernard Shaw, “Act V”, in Pygmalion:

     DOOLITTLE […] If it had been only one of them, you could have nailed him. But you see, there was two; and one of them chaperoned the other, as you might say.

   • 2006, The New Yorker, 17 April 2006, page 27.

     'Purcell had volunteered to chaperone a delegation of female students'

Translations