purdah

or pur·da, par·dah

[pur-duh]

noun (in India, Pakistan, etc.)

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for purda

Historical Examples of purda

The women do not appear at the feast but stay inside, sitting in the angan or inner court, which is behind the purda.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India - Volume IV of IV
R.V. Russell
Another story says that the Kammas and Velamas were originally one caste, and had adopted the Muhammadan system of gosha or purda.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I (of IV)
R.V. Russell
On drawing aside the purda, I beheld the whole establishment seated in full conclave on their haunches round the door.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851
Various

British Dictionary definitions for purda

purdah

purda

noun

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 isolationthe Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah

Word Origin for purdah

C19: from Hindi parda veil, from Persian pardah

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

Word Origin and History for purda

purdah

1800, from Urdu and Persian pardah "veil, curtain," from Old Persian pari "around, over" (from PIE *per- (1); see per-) + da- "to place", from PIE *dhe- "to set, put" (see factitious).