purdah: a screen or veil [from Persian, pardah, veil]; among women in Islamic cultures, the custom of veiling the face in public in the presence of men.

Dictionary of Sexology Project: Main Index

Pur"dah (?), n. [Per. parda a curtain.]

A curtain or screen; also, a cotton fabric in blue and white stripes, used for curtains.

McElrath.

 

© Webster 1913.