es·cort • n. / ˈesˌkôrt/ a person, vehicle, ship, or aircraft, or a group of these, accompanying another for protection, security, or as a mark of rank: a police escort. ∎  a man who accompanies a woman to a particular social event. ∎  a person, typically a woman, who may be hired to accompany someone socially: [as adj.] an escort agency. • v. / iˈskôrt/ [tr.] accompany (someone or something) somewhere, esp. for protection or security, or as a mark of rank: Shiona escorted Janice to the door.

escort armed guard or convoy XVI; accompanying person or persons XVIII. — F. escorte — It. scorta, sb. use of fem. pp. of scorgere guide, conduct :- Rom. *excorrigere, f. EX-1 + L. corrigere set in order, CORRECT1.
So vb. XVIII.

Escort

a number of persons or a single person who accompanies another on a journey for protection, guidance, or courtesy, 1745; a body of armed men who accompany somebody or something on a journey, the troops who on ceremonial occasions escort the Queen in procession, 1579.

Example: escort of strangers, 1867.