From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
escort
n 1: someone who escorts and protects a prominent person [syn:
bodyguard]
2: the act of accompanying someone or something in order to
protect them [syn: accompaniment]
3: an attendant who is employed to accompany someone
4: a participant in a date; "his date never stopped talking"
[syn: date]
v 1: accompany as an escort; "She asked her older brother to
escort her to the ball"
2: accompany or escort; "I'll see you to the door" [syn: see]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Escort \Es"cort\, n. [F. escorte, It. scorta a guard or guide,
fr. scorgere to perceive, discern, lead, fr. L. ex out, quite
+ corrigere to correct, set right. See Correct.]
1. A body of armed men to attend a person of distinction for
the sake of affording safety when on a journey; one who
conducts some one as an attendant; a guard, as of
prisoners on a march; also, a body of persons, attending
as a mark of respect or honor; -- applied to movements on
land, as convoy is to movements at sea.
[1913 Webster]
The troops of my escort marched at the ordinary
rate. --Burke.
[1913 Webster]
2. Protection, care, or safeguard on a journey or excursion;
as, to travel under the escort of a friend.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Escort \Es*cort"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Escorted; p. pr. & vb.
n. Escorting.] [Cf. F. escorter, It. scortare. See
Escort, n.]
To attend with a view to guard and protect; to accompany as
safeguard; to give honorable or ceremonious attendance to; --
used esp. with reference to journeys or excursions on land;
as, to escort a public functionary, or a lady; to escort a
baggage wagon.
Syn: To accompany; attend. See Accompany.
[1913 Webster]