Macassar oil

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noun

an oil derived from materials said to be obtained from Macassar, formerly used as a hairdressing.

a similar oil or preparation for the hair.

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Origin of Macassar oil

First recorded in 1800–10

Words nearby Macassar oil

macaroon, MacArthur, MacArthur, Douglas, Macartney rose, Macassar, Macassar oil, Macáu, Macaulay, macaw, Macbeth, MacBride

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Macassar oil in a sentence

“Macassar oil” is a trade name, not geographical: see Antimacassar.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various
Antimacassar means literally a "protection against macassar oil," anti being the Latin word for "against."
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
Macassar-oil, ma-kas′ar-oil, n. an oil much used for the hair, imported from India and other Eastern countries.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various
For three months the success of Macassar Oil has kept me from sleeping.
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau|Honore de Balzac

Macassar Oil will defend itself; it is specious; the name is seductive.
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for Macassar oil

Macassar oil

noun

an oily preparation formerly put on the hair to make it smooth and shiny

Word Origin for Macassar oil

C19: so called because its ingredients were originally claimed to have come from Makassar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012