PURDAH

[noun] [U] - (the condition of following) the custom, found in some Muslim and Hindu cultures, of women not allowing their faces to be seen by male strangers, either by staying in a special part of the house or by wearing a covering over their facesPurdah is practised in many parts of the Middle East.The women in the village live in (strict) purdah.In this region women seldom venture out of purdah, and talk of the shame of strange men seeing their faces.(figurative) Jeff has gone into purdah (= is not seeing or speaking to anyone) while he's preparing for his exams.