cicisbeo
/ˌtʃɪtʃɪzˈbeɪoʊ/
noun
- A recognized male companion or lover of a married woman, especially in 18th-century Italian society.
- The role of a cicisbeo was often more about social status than romance.
- He acted as her cicisbeo, escorting her to the opera while her husband stayed home.
- In the play, the countess's cicisbeo accompanies her to every social event.