purdah

or pur·da, par·dah

[ pur-duh ]

/ ˈpɜr də /

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See synonyms for purdah on Thesaurus.com

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.

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Origin of purdah

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

Words nearby purdah

purchase, purchase ledger, purchase tax, purchasing agent, purchasing power, purdah, purdonium, Purdy, pure, pure and simple, pure as the driven snow

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

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 Kipling
Purdah, pur′d, n. a curtain screening a chamber of state or the women's apartments: the seclusion itself.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
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|Mimosa
This 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. Wells

She 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

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

purdah

or pur·da, par·dah

Origin of purdah

Words nearby purdah

Words related to purdah

How to use purdah in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for purdah

purda

Word Origin for purdah