purdah

noun pur·dah \ˈpər-də\

: a custom among Muslims and some Hindus in which women stay separate from men or keep their faces and bodies covered when they are near men

Full Definition of PURDAH

: seclusion of women from public observation among Muslims and some Hindus especially in India

: a state of seclusion or concealment

See purdah defined for English-language learners

Hindi & Urdu parda, literally, screen, veil

First Known Use: 1865

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