Dictionary.com

purdah

or pur·da, par·dah

[ pur-duh ]
/ ˈpɜr də /
Save This Word!

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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of purdah

1790–1800; <Hindi, Urdu pardah curtain <Persian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use purdah in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for purdah

purdah

purda

/ (ˈpɜːdə) /

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
FEEDBACK