Crossword clues for chaperon
chaperon
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Chaperon \Chap"er*on\, n. [F. chaperon. See Chape, Cape, Cap.]
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A hood; especially, an ornamental or an official hood.
His head and face covered with a chaperon, out of which there are but two holes to look through.
--Howell. A device placed on the foreheads of horses which draw the hearse in pompous funerals.
A matron who accompanies a young lady in public, for propriety, or as a guide and protector.
Chaperon \Chap"er*on\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Chaperoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Chaperoning.] [Cf. F. chaperonner, fr. chaperon.] To attend in public places as a guide and protector; to matronize.
Fortunately Lady Bell Finley, whom I had promised to
chaperon, sent to excuse herself.
--Hannah More.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1720, "woman accompanying a younger, unmarried lady in public," from French chaperon "protector," especially "female companion to a young woman," earlier "head covering, hood" (c.1400), from Old French chaperon "hood, cowl" (12c.), diminutive of chape "cape" (see cap (n.)). "... English writers often erroneously spell it chaperone, app. under the supposition that it requires a fem. termination" [OED]. The notion is of "covering" the socially vulnerable one.\n"May I ask what is a chaperon?"\n
\n"A married lady; without whom no unmarried one can be seen in public. If the damsel be five and forty, she cannot appear without the matron; and if the matron be fifteen, it will do."\n
\n
[Catharine Hutton, "The Welsh Mountaineer," London, 1817]
\nThe word had been used in Middle English in the literal sense "hooded cloak.""act as a chaperon," 1792, also chaperone, from chaperon (n.), or from French chaperonner, from chaperon (n.). Related: Chaperoned; chaperoning.
Wiktionary
n. 1 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. 2 A hood, especially, an ornamental or official hood. 3 A device placed on the foreheads of horses which draw the hearse in pompous funerals. vb. 1 to accompany, to escort 2 to mother
WordNet
Wikipedia
Chaperon ( or ; Middle French: chaperon) was a form of hood or, later, highly versatile hat worn in all parts of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Initially a utilitarian garment, it first grew a long partly decorative tail behind called a liripipe, and then developed into a complex, versatile and expensive headgear after what was originally the vertical opening for the face began to be used as a horizontal opening for the head. It was especially fashionable in mid-15th century Burgundy, before gradually falling out of fashion in the late 15th century and returning to its utilitarian status. It is the most commonly worn male headgear in Early Netherlandish painting, but its complicated construction is often misunderstood.
Usage examples of "chaperon".
Reluctantly she permitted Dolley to join with other young people, chaperoned of course, in attending parties, picnics, jaunts into the country.
Large arrays of cylindrical structures and their chaperoning conduits and connectors were at once majestic yet stylized in design.
And so, for one reason and another, they walked on in silence, chaperoned by the voice of Mrs.
Public opinion, carefully encouraged by Miss Jacques and her chaperon with their hints at false proposals and attempted seduction, was firmly of the belief that he should have made her an offer.
Then, of course, there was his reputation as a rake, which made every chaperon blench.
And if I miss the excitement of the Season in years to come, I shall set myself up as a chaperon for daughters of rich cits wishing to marry well!
The Dowager knew that Polly had so much Town bronze that she need not trouble herself to chaperon her too closely.
She was forever being chaperoned about by her mother or some other elderly female relative, which was all very well for a new debutante but decidedly slow for a lady of twenty three.
The Dowager Countess was chaperoning her daughter to the ball and was keeping a closer eye on her than she had done at Lady Phillips's.
She watched Lord Henry's tall figure skirt the floor and cross urgently to Lady Laura's chaperon, saw the lady point and Lord Henry set off in that direction.
My sister and her chaperon have already left and I must make haste to my next engagement.
Turning around, Polly saw that Mrs Dit ton, their chaperon for the day, was a considerable distance behind and appeared to be involved in some kind of altercation with both her children and an angry stall holder.
She will be well enough chaperoned by her rector and his wife until her auntie arrives.
I don't suddenly discover that I have been chaperoning a set of German code-dispatches across the seas.
We had seen and done all the things that they were doing, and it presently bored us to chaperon them.