Chaperone (social)

An alternative explanation comes from the sport of falconry, where the word meant the hood placed over the head of a bird of prey to stop its desire to fly.

[citation needed] According to the Oxford English Dictionary the noun (in its figurative sense of escort of females) is attested from 1721, and the verb 'to chaperon' from 1811.

Therefore, in present-day situations where young people plan to be away from their families for an extended period of time, such as modern-day cinema, theatre and television productions where the cast includes children as well as other areas such as high-level sport or modeling, there is often a legal obligation[7] to have a staff role of a chaperone, responsible for their general safety and well-being while away from their parents.

E. M. Forster's 1908 novel A Room with a View features a character, Charlotte Bartlett, who functions as a chaperone for her younger cousin Lucy Honeychurch.

In Fazil Iskander's book The Gospel According to Chegem (1984), the chapter "Harlampo and Despina" tells about a couple who spent over seven years engaged.

Whenever Despina visited Harlampo, her aunt, Chrysoula, accompanied her, constantly giving instructions on proper behavior and watching out that the relationship isn't consummated prematurely.