antimacassar
UK[ˌantɪməˈkæsə]US[ˌæntiməˈkæsər, ˌæntaɪməˈkæsər]
n
A piece of cloth put over the back of a chair to protect it from grease and dirt, especially from hair oil.
Morpheme Breakdown
anti
macassar
anti
against
macassar
a type of hair oil
Etymology
The word 'antimacassar' is a compound formed in the 19th century, directly from the English spelling of its components. It is a purely functional and descriptive term. The prefix 'anti-' was combined with 'Macassar,' the proprietary name for a fashionable and widely used hair oil of the era. The literal meaning, "against Macassar oil," perfectly captures the object's purpose: a protective cover designed to prevent furniture upholstery from being stained by this specific substance. Over time, as the use of such oils declined, the term generalized to refer to any decorative protective cloth placed on chair backs or arms.
Analysis
Structure: anti (against) + macassar (a type of hair oil)
- anti: A prefix of Greek origin, meaning "against," "opposite of," or "preventive."
- macassar: A proper noun referring to Macassar oil, a popular 19th-century hair tonic named after the port of Makassar in Indonesia.
Examples
The Victorian-era parlor was adorned with lace antimacassars on every armchair.
She crocheted an intricate antimacassar to preserve the silk fabric of her favorite sofa.
Antimacassars were a common household item in an age when men regularly used hair oil.