iron curtain

See also: Iron Curtain

English

Etymology

PIE word
*h₁ésh₂r̥
PIE word
*ḱóm

From iron +‎ curtain.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌaɪən ˈkɜːtn̩/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌaɪ(ə)ɹn ˈkɜɹt(ə)n/
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tən
  • Hyphenation: iron cur‧tain

Noun

iron curtain (plural iron curtains)

  1. (theater) A barrier made of iron in a theatre, lowered between the stage and the auditorium for safety or to prevent communication.
  2. (figurative) Any impenetrable barrier.
    • 1982, Ervand Abrahamian, Iran Between Two Revolutions‎[1], →ISBN, page 450:
      The coup d'etat also constituted an iron curtain for the social scientists.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “iron curtain, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.

Further reading

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