▁h ood ▁that ▁was ▁worn ▁by ▁individuals ▁generally . ▁ ▁A ▁ch aper one ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁cost ume ▁of ▁the ▁Kn ights ▁of ▁the ▁G arter ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁full ▁dress ▁and , ▁probably , ▁since ▁the ▁Kn ights ▁were ▁court ▁attend ants , ▁the ▁word ▁ch aper on ▁changed ▁to ▁mean ▁esc ort . ▁An ▁alternative ▁explanation ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁sport ▁of ▁fal con ry , ▁where ▁the ▁word ▁meant ▁the ▁h ood ▁placed ▁over ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁bird ▁of ▁pre y ▁to ▁stop ▁its ▁desire ▁to ▁fly . ▁▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁the ▁n oun ▁( in ▁its ▁figur ative ▁sense ▁of ▁esc ort ▁of ▁females ) ▁is ▁att ested ▁from ▁ 1 7 2 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁verb ▁' to ▁ch aper on ' ▁from ▁ 1 8 1 1 . ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁institution ▁Although ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁vulner able ▁women ▁in ▁public ▁spaces ▁may ▁be ▁common ▁in ▁many ▁cult ures , ▁the ▁specific ▁word ▁ch aper on ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century ▁to ▁denote ▁a ▁particular ▁social ▁institution , ▁namely , ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁would ▁accomp any ▁a ▁young ▁un mar ried ▁woman ▁in ▁public , ▁and ▁especially ▁where ▁she ▁might ▁be ▁expected ▁to ▁meet ▁a ▁man . ▁In ▁circumstances ▁where , ▁for ▁whatever ▁reason , ▁the ▁mother ▁was ▁un available ▁to ▁perform ▁this ▁function , ▁another ▁woman , ▁usually ▁well ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁family , ▁was ▁chosen . ▁A ▁ch aper on ▁was ▁usually