Purdah Definition
pûrdə
noun
A curtain or screen, used mainly in India to keep women separate from men or strangers.
American Heritage
The practice among some Hindus and Muslims of secluding women from strangers.
Webster's New World
A curtain or partition used for this.
Webster's New World
The section of a house reserved primarily for women.
Webster's New World
Social seclusion.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
- solitude
- sex segregation
Other Word Forms of Purdah
Noun
Singular:
purdah
Plural:
purdahsOrigin of Purdah
-
Urdu pardah veil from Persian from Middle Persian pardak from Old Persian paridaka- from pari-dā- to place over pari around, over per1 in Indo-European roots dā- to place dhē- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
From Hindi पर्दा, Urdu پردہ (parda), from Persian پرده (parda, “curtain").
From Wiktionary
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to purdah using the buttons below.