purdah

American  

[pur-duh] / ˈpɜr də /

Or purda,

noun

1. the seclusion of women from the sight of men or strangers, practiced by some Muslims and Hindus.

2. a screen, curtain, or veil used for this purpose.

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purdah British  

/ ˈpɜːdə /

noun

1. the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out

2. a screen in a Hindu house used to keep the women out of view

3. a veil worn by Hindu women of high caste

4. informal hiding or isolation

   the Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah

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Etymology

Origin of purdah

1790–1800; < Hindi, Urdu pardah curtain < Persian

Example Sentences

The poems generally studied, with the aid of commentaries, which impress every verse upon the memory, are the Burdah and the Hamziyah, well-known odes by Mohammed of Abusir.

From Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah — Volume 1 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Mohammed's Burdah woven in his Harem and given to the poet, Ka'ab, was 7 1/2 ft. long by 4 1/2: it is still in the upper Serraglio of Stambul.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 07 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

The Burdah and Hamziyah of Mohammed of Abusir, 107, n.

From Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah — Volume 2 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir