iron curtain
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Iron Curtain¹
- /ˌaɪən ˈkɜː.tən/ UK
- /ˌaɪ(ə)ɹn ˈkɜɹ.tən/ US
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)tən
Where it comes from
A specialized use of iron curtain (“(figurative) impenetrable barrier”), probably partly a calque of German eiserner Vorhang which was used in speeches in the 1940s that were translated into English. The English term appeared in telegrams from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874–1965) to the United States President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) in 1945, before being popularized in a speech given by Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946.
proper noun the Iron Curtain
- The dividing line between Western Europe and the Soviet-controlled regions, especially during the Cold War (1947–1991). We liked the plain people of Russia wherever we met them. […] We were behind the "iron curtain" at last!
iron curtain²
- /ˌaɪən ˈkɜːtn̩/ UK
- /ˌaɪ(ə)ɹn ˈkɜɹt(ə)n/ US
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)tən
Where it comes from
From iron + curtain.
noun iron curtains
-
A barrier made of iron in a theatre, lowered between the stage and the auditorium for fire safety or to prevent communication.
Similar: safety curtain
- Any impenetrable barrier. The coup d'etat also constituted an iron curtain for the social scientists.
Translations
Every language
name dividing line between Western Europe and the Soviet-controlled regions, especially during the Cold War
| Español | Cortina de Hierro, Telón de Acero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 철의 장막 cheor-ui jangmak |
| 日本語 | 鉄のカーテン tetsu no kāten |
| 中文 | 鐵幕 /铁幕 tiěmù |
| हिन्दी | लौह पर्दा lauh pardā |
| Português | Cortina de Ferro |
| Français | rideau de fer |
| Deutsch | Eiserner Vorhang, eiserner Vorhang |
| Italiano | cortina di ferro |
| Ελληνικά | σιδηρούν παραπέτασμα sidiroún parapétasma |
| Română | cortină de fier |
| Русский | желе́зный за́навес želéznyj zánaves |
| Tiếng Việt | bức màn sắt |
| العربية | سِتَار حَدِيدِيّ sitār ḥadīdiyy, السِتَار الحَدِيدِي as-sitār al-ḥadīdī |
| עברית | מָסַךְ הַבַּרְזֶל |
noun barrier made of iron in a theatre
| Português | cortina de ferro |
|---|
noun impenetrable barrier
| Español | telón de acero, cortina de hierro |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 철의 장막 cheorui jangmak, 장벽 jangbyeok |
| 日本語 | 鉄のカーテン tetsu no kāten |
| 中文 | 鐵幕 /铁幕 tiěmù |
| हिन्दी | लौह पर्दा lauh pardā |
| Português | cortina de ferro |
| Français | rideau de fer |
| Deutsch | eiserner Vorhang |
| Italiano | cortina di ferro |
| Ελληνικά | σιδηρούν παραπέτασμα sidiroún parapétasma |
| Română | cortină de fier |
| Русский | желе́зный за́навес želéznyj zánaves |
| Tiếng Việt | bức màn sắt |
| العربية | السِتَار الحَدِيدِي as-sitār al-ḥadīdī, سِتَار حَدِيدِيّ sitār ḥadīdiyy |
| עברית | מָסַךְ הַבַּרְזֶל |
Talk about this word "iron curtain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/iron%20curtain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. iron curtain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/iron%20curtain "iron curtain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/iron%20curtain.Cite this
@misc{iron_curtain_2026,
title = {iron curtain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/iron%20curtain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
