iron curtain

Save This Word!

See synonyms for iron curtain on Thesaurus.com

noun

(sometimes initial capital letters) a barrier to understanding and the exchange of information and ideas created by ideological, political, and military hostility of one country toward another, especially such a barrier between the Soviet Union and its allies and other countries.

an impenetrable barrier to communication or information, especially as imposed by rigid censorship and secrecy.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of iron curtain

Used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the line of demarcation between Western Europe and the Soviet zone of influence

Words nearby iron curtain

ironbound, iron brick, Iron Chancellor, ironclad, Iron Cross, iron curtain, Irondequoit, Iron Duke, irone, ironer, iron fist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use iron curtain in a sentence

Cruce operates the Iron Hill Campground on the other side of the highway.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After the curtain calls, Christopher comes back to explain a complicated math problem.
Hedwig, Hugh & Michael Cera: 12 Powerhouse Theater Performances of 2014|Janice Kaplan|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They keep their heads low while running behind a large curtain covering the opening between two housing blocks.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided cast iron skillet.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole|Carla Hall|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A whole population of 11 million with every iron in the fire doubling as a finger in a dike.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She walked away toward another door, which was masked with a curtain that she lifted.
Confidence|Henry James
Mr. Jones swung round a large iron key he held in his hand, and light dawned upon him.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
I seized the opportunity to watch what I supposed would be a most interesting interview, from behind a curtain.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Now, the whole Northwest groaned beneath a cast-iron prohibition law at that time, and for some years thereafter.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
She was in a dream of oily odours and monstrous iron constructions, dominated by the grand foreman: and Edwin was in the dream.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for iron curtain

Iron Curtain

noun

(formerly) the guarded border between the countries of the Soviet bloc and the rest of Europe
(as modifier)Iron Curtain countries

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for iron curtain

Iron Curtain

The former division between the communist nations of eastern Europe — the Eastern Bloc — and the noncommunist nations of western Europe. The term refers to the isolation that the Soviet Union imposed on its satellites in the Eastern Bloc and to the repressive measures of many Eastern Bloc governments. (See Berlin Wall (see also Berlin Wall) and cold war.)

notes for Iron Curtain

The expression Iron Curtain was coined by Winston Churchill, who was prime minister of Britain in World War II. Churchill first used the term soon after the war, when the Soviet Union was beginning to carry out its plans for postwar dominance of eastern Europe.