purdah
Americannoun
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the seclusion of women from the sight of men or strangers, practiced by some Muslims and Hindus.
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a screen, curtain, or veil used for this purpose.
noun
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the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out
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a screen in a Hindu house used to keep the women out of view
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a veil worn by Hindu women of high caste
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informal hiding or isolation
the Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah
Etymology
Origin of purdah
1790–1800; < Hindi, Urdu pardah curtain < Persian
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Abida had a fierce, independent streak even as a child and rebelled against her grandmother when she forced her into purdah at the age of 13.
From BBC • Nov. 23, 2024
The UK is about to have yet another general election and soon the internet and airwaves will be filled with talk of purdah, hustings and spin.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 2019
That doesn’t mean they should enter a state of purdah, curtail all encounters with the opposite sex, strike friends bearing proscribed genitalia from their address book and only make single-sex social engagements.
From The Guardian • Oct. 20, 2019
The self-styled protector was in purdah and he resented it.
From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2019
I had seen these women nearly every day of my life observing the code of purdah, where they cover themselves in public.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
