purdah

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pur·dah

(pûr′də)

a. A curtain or screen, used mainly in India to keep women separate from men or strangers.

b. The Hindu or Muslim system of sex segregation, practiced especially by keeping women in seclusion.

2. Social seclusion: "Never have artists been more separate: their inordinate fame, wealth, drug use have driven them into luxurious purdah" (D. Keith Mano).

[Urdu pardah, veil, from Persian, from Middle Persian pardak, from Old Persian *paridaka-, from pari-dā-, to place over : pari, around, over; see per in Indo-European roots + dā-, to place; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

purdah

(ˈpɜːdə) or

purda

1. (Hinduism) the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out

2. (Islam) the custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities of keeping women in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out

3. (Hinduism) a screen in a Hindu house used to keep the women out of view

4. (Hinduism) a veil worn by Hindu women of high caste

5. informal hiding or isolation: the Treasury is currently locked in pre-budget purdah.

[C19: from Hindi parda veil, from Persian pardah]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pur•dah

par•dah

(ˈpɜr də)

n. (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.

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

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	purdah - a state of social isolation solitude isolation - a state of separation between persons or groups
	2.	purdah - the traditional Hindu or Muslim system of keeping women secluded sex segregation separatism, segregation - a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups
	3.	purdah - a screen used in India to separate women from men or strangers screen - partition consisting of a decorative frame or panel that serves to divide a space

Translations

purdah

[ˈpɜːdə] N (in India etc) → reclusión f femenina
to be in purdah (fig) → estar en cuarentena

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

purdah

[ˈpɜː^rdə] n → purdah m
to be in purdah → être en purdah

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

purdah

n Vorhang vor den Frauengemächern im Islam und Hinduismus, → Purdah f; a woman in purdah (lit) → eine Frau, die von (fremden) Männern ferngehalten wird; he keeps his wife (like a woman) in purdah → er hält seine Frau von allem fern

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

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References in periodicals archive ?

Alex Beveridge, Cumbernauld SO Gordon Brown has come out of purdah to criticise the coalition's economic record.

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Some of her popular works include Chakkar and Purdah Hai Purdah.

LIGHTS, CAMERA EXPERIMENT

However, it is understood the Cabinet Office had not completed its assessment of whether Ms Smith could go ahead during the period of silence - or "purdah" - in the weeks before a vote.

SMITH IN DENIAL

Ministers and government departments are supposed to observe a period of silence or "purdah" in the weeks before a vote.

Election complaint

as long as we kept putting our feet up, went to bed early and went into a sort of Purdah as we awaited the birth of our first child.

Fitness: ... but OUR mums were so different

He said: 'During an election campaign, there is something called purdah ,which means we are not allowed to get involved in policy matters.

Straw stays silent over Brum-bley

It was not the message which was wrong but the language he used, ordering them into pre-Budget purdah and virtually dictating with whom they might have lunch.

Time you got the message, Mr Campbell

Ms Harman also challenged the Conservative leader on plans not to introduce "purdah" rules during the referendum campaign which would put limits on government statements and actions which could influence the result.

Cameron refuses vote on same day to rule out Euro as Assembly poll

After his meeting with Fox, Salmond piled on political pressure by saying the decision had to be announced by the end of February to avoid Holyrood's pre-election "purdah" period - in which no government announcements are allowed.

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Mr Tait said NERD had initially been launched at the start of April, as Aspire had believed it would not be affected by purdah rules on spending public money during elections.

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After months of uncertainty on fuel prices, drivers can breathe a sigh of relief at a period of stability, thanks to the Chancellor's decision to impose a "purdah at the pumps".

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Speaking at the first in a series of pre-Budget consultation meetings in Bridgend, South Wales, Mr Brown said: 'In the past, budgets have led to a period of purdah on behalf of the chancellor.