purdah

or pur·da, par·dah

[ pur-duh ]

/ ˈpɜr də /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

purchase, purchase ledger, purchase tax, purchasing agent, purchasing power, purdah, purdonium, purdy, pure, pure absence, pure and simple

Origin of purdah

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for purdah

A male doctor attending a zenana lady would put his hand between the purdah to feel her pulse.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8|Various
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
He had not been backward, however, in awakening his grandfather to purdah manœuvres.
Far to Seek|Maud Diver
With these words she left Ahmed as he lifted the purdah, having followed him as far as her woman's feet were permitted to go.
In Kali's Country|Emily Churchill Thompson Sheets

Anybody would think, to listen to some people, that the purdah flourished in Chelsea.
The Roll-Call|Arnold Bennett

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