'antimacassar' originates from English, specifically the compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the name 'Macassar' (from Macassar oil), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'Macassar' referred to the hair oil named after the port of Makassar.

'antimacassar' was coined in the mid-19th century as a household term combining 'anti-' + 'Macassar' (Macassar oil was widely used for hair), and the compound became the name for the small protective cloth used on chairs.

Initially, it meant 'a thing placed against Macassar oil' (i.e., a cover to prevent staining by Macassar oil); over time it retained that specific meaning and also came to be used more generally for similar protective cloths.