purdah
or pur·da, par·dah
the seclusion of women from the sight of men or strangers, practiced by some Muslims and Hindus.
a screen, curtain, or veil used for this purpose.
Origin of purdah
1Words Nearby purdah
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use purdah in a sentence
The purdah rustled, and the speech was cut short by the entry of a little thin woman, with big rings round her eyes.
Under the Deodars | Rudyard Kiplingpurdah, pur′d, n. a curtain screening a chamber of state or the women's apartments: the seclusion itself.
In the huts there was scarce one piece of furniture, save perhaps a bed or a roll of matting or a ragged purdah.
Told on the Pagoda | MimosaThis had produced a violent revulsion towards the purdah system and the idea of a matrimonial alliance with Gunter Lake.
The Secret Places of the Heart | H. G. WellsShe came on board to see us, but many precautions to preserve the purdah had to be taken.
The Last Voyage | Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey
British Dictionary definitions for purdah
purda
/ (ˈpɜːdə) /
the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out
a screen in a Hindu house used to keep the women out of view
a veil worn by Hindu women of high caste
informal hiding or isolation: the Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah
Origin of purdah
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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