Chaperone

Noun

 * 1) An older person who accompanies other younger people to ensure the propriety of their behaviour, often an older woman accompanying a young woman.
 * 2)  A protein that assists the non-covalent folding/unfolding and the assembly/disassembly of other macromolecular structures, but does not occur in these structures when the latter are performing their normal biological functions.

Derived terms

 * chaperoneship
 * cochaperone

Verb

 * 1) to act as a chaperone