Etymology

iron curtain

iron cur·tain

Today it means: A barrier made of iron in a theatre, lowered between the stage and the auditorium for fire safety or to prevent communication. Full definition →

German eiserner Vorhang
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iron curtain · noun1

From iron + curtain.

Iron Curtain · proper noun2

  1. German · calque ofeiserner Vorhang
  2. English todayIron Curtain

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.

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 20th c. The dividing line between Western Europe and the Soviet-controlled regions, especially during the Cold War (1947–1991).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.