pardah

noun

1. purdah.

noun (in India, Pakistan, etc.)

1. the seclusion of women from the sight of men or strangers, practiced by some Muslims and Hindus.
2. a screen, curtain, or veil used for this purpose.

noun

1. the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out
2. a screen in a Hindu house used to keep the women out of view
3. a veil worn by Hindu women of high caste
4. informal hiding or isolationthe Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah

n.1800, from Urdu and Persian pardah “veil, curtain,” from Old Persian pari “around, over” (from PIE *per- (1); see per-) + da- “to place”, from PIE *dhe- “to set, put” (see factitious).