antimacassar

[ an-ti-muh-kas-er ]
/ ˌæn tɪ məˈkæs ər /

noun

a small covering, usually ornamental, placed on the backs and arms of upholstered furniture to prevent wear or soiling; a tidy.

Origin of antimacassar

First recorded in 1850–55; anti- + Macassar (oil)

Example sentences from the Web for anti-macassar

  • This, from its weight, serves to keep the anti-macassar from shifting, and is finished with a handsome fringe.

  • Marriage was something we gentlewomen tried to endure while we knitted an anti-macassar.

    Sugar Plum |Reginald Bretnor
  • This anti-macassar is done in the fashionable style of netting, with a pattern darned on it after it is worked.

  • The anti-macassar of which we give a representation in the engraving is intended to fit the top of a library chair.

British Dictionary definitions for anti-macassar

antimacassar
/ (ˌæntɪməˈkæsə) /

noun

a cloth covering the back and arms of chairs, etc, to prevent soiling or as decoration

Word Origin for antimacassar

C19: from anti- + Macassar ( oil)