purdah

2 definitions found

purdah - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Purdah \Pur"dah\, n. [Per. parda a curtain.]
     A curtain or screen; also, a cotton fabric in blue and white
     stripes, used for curtains. --McElrath.
     [1913 Webster]

purdah - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  purdah
      n 1: a state of social isolation [syn: solitude, purdah]
      2: the traditional Hindu or Muslim system of keeping women
         secluded [syn: purdah, sex segregation]
      3: a screen used in India to separate women from men or
         strangers