1. Plural of pardah; a screen, curtain, or veil used in some South Asian cultures to seclude women from public view or from men outside the family.
Usage: From Hindi/Urdu purdah; Cultural and historical term; Often refers to the practice or the physical barrier itself
2. The practice or system of secluding women, particularly in some Muslim and Hindu communities.
Usage: Refers to the social custom rather than the physical object; Historical and cultural context

Examples

• The museum displayed traditional pardahs used in 19th-century Indian households.
• Some families maintained the practice of pardahs to protect women's privacy.
• The ornate pardahs hung in the zenana, the women's quarters of the palace.
• Historical accounts describe how pardahs functioned as both physical and social barriers.
• The exhibition explored the cultural significance of pardahs in South Asian history.