Escort

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɛs.kɔɹt/

Definitions

1. A person or group accompanying another to provide protection, guidance, or courtesy during travel or at an event
2. A companion or group of individuals who accompany someone for safety, support, or social interaction during a journey or public appearance
3. An individual or team that provides guidance, protection, or company to another person in various social or travel contexts

Etymology: The Italian "scorta" was originally a verb-derived noun meaning a guiding or escorting party, and it is the ancestor of the English word. "Scorta" came into Italian from the verb "scorgere," meaning "to guide, to conduct" or literally "to lead out," with the sense of showing someone the way. Italian then sent the term north into French as "escorte," where it took on the meaning of a body of armed men accompanying someone for protection, and English borrowed it from French. The word thus began as a practical military and travel term, a group assigned to see a person safely from one place to another. Its meaning has stayed remarkably close to that core: a body of guards on the road has become a companion at a dinner, a chaperone, or a paid guide. The borrowing into English came through French, so the spelling and the stress on the final syllable in older usage reflect French influence before the word settled into its modern English form.

Synonyms: guide, chaperone, cavalcade, convoy, retinue

Antonyms: abandon, desert, neglect, forsake, leave