iron curtain

or I·ron Cur·tain

[ ahy-ern kur-tn ]

noun

1. Usually the Iron Curtain. the Cold War barrier created by political, ideological, and military hostility between Western democracies on the one hand and the Soviet Union and its allies on the other, preventing mutual understanding and the exchange of ideas, travel, etc.: Compare bamboo curtain ( def ).

   Even when I was living behind the Iron Curtain, some popular music seeped through from the West.

2. any barrier preventing the passage of ideas or understanding, especially an ideological, philosophical, or cultural barrier that divides countries, groups of people, or individuals:

   An iron curtain between theoreticians and creative artists prevented either group from appreciating the contributions of the other.

3. an impenetrable barrier to communication or information imposed by rigid censorship or secrecy:

   The incident is a growing embarrassment for the country on the international stage, meaning that an iron curtain must fall on the subject.

4. Theater. a safety curtain made of iron or other metal.

Iron Curtain

noun

1. 1. (formerly) the guarded border between the countries of the Soviet bloc and the rest of Europe
   2. ( as modifier )

      Iron Curtain countries

Iron Curtain

1. The former division between the communist nations of eastern Europe — the Eastern Bloc — and the noncommunist nations of western Europe. The term refers to the isolation that the Soviet Union imposed on its satellites in the Eastern Bloc and to the repressive measures of many Eastern Bloc governments. ( See Berlin Wall (see also Berlin Wall ) and cold war .)

Notes

The expression Iron Curtain was coined by Winston Churchill , who was prime minister of Britain in World War II . Churchill first used the term soon after the war, when the Soviet Union was beginning to carry out its plans for postwar dominance of eastern Europe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of iron curtain¹

Used in 1946 by Sir Winston Churchill to describe the line of demarcation between Western Europe and the Soviet zone of influence

Example Sentences

Even as Iran completes a digital iron curtain certain to further stymie research collaborations with the West, it’s encouraging its scientists to forge closer ties with China and Russia.

From Science Magazine

Less than a year after victory in World War II, Winston Churchill traveled to a small Missouri town and announced a turning point in history: an “iron curtain” had descended on Europe.

From Seattle Times

As an iron curtain descends on a failing American imperial state, one thing we won't be able to say is that we weren't warned.

From Salon

It was as if the fall of the iron curtain, and of the ideological confrontation that went with it, had liberated our leaders from a big chunk of political responsibilities to their electorates.

From Scientific American

The mural, called "Morning is broken", shows a young boy opening curtains made of corrugated iron curtains alongside a cat.

From BBC

Related Words

• blackout
• calm
• lull
• peace
• quiet
• reticence
• secrecy
• stillness