antimacassar

American  

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

noun

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

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antimacassar British  

/ ˌæntɪməˈkæsə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of antimacassar

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

Example Sentences

“Somebody bought them to make them into antimacassars,” Schreier says, her voice rising in outrage.

From Washington Post

Though my memories of that summer are mostly indoor memories—memories of antimacassars and tea towels and biscuits—I retain a vivid outdoor memory as well.

From The New Yorker

The adults’ entries were delicate works of art, collars and antimacassars as detailed and fine as a spider’s web.

From Literature

This building was once the home of an important politician, and the rooms are small and decorated like a granny’s house: ornaments in glass display cases, Victorian side tables, antimacassars on curly-armed sofas.

From The Guardian

I was agonising about whether to speak up when they clocked the antimacassars and decamped into standard.

From The Guardian