Latin

Proper noun

Macula m ‎(genitive Maculae); first declension

1. a Roman cognomen

   Quintus Pompeius Macula

   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Cicero to this entry?)

Declension

First declension.

References

• Măcŭla in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “Măcŭla”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette, page 935/2.

English

Noun

Illustration showing parts of the human eye, including the macula.

macula ‎(plural maculae)

1. (anatomy) An oval yellow spot near the center of the retina of the human eye, histologically defined as having two or more layers of ganglion cells, responsible for detailed central vision.
2. A spot, as on the skin, or on the surface of the sun or of some other luminous orb.
3. A rather large spot or blotch of color.
4. In planetary geology, an unusually dark area on the surface of a planet or moon.

Related terms

• (oval yellow spot near the center of the retina): macula lutea, macular

Translations

External links

• macula in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• macula in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• macula at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Verb

macula

1. third-person singular past historic of maculer

Italian

Alternative forms

• macola

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin macula, whence also the inherited doublet macchia.

Noun

macula f ‎(plural macule)

1. (anatomy, astronomy, geology) macula
2. stain, blot
3. (pathology) macule

Synonyms

• (stain, blot): macchia

Related terms

• maculopatia

Anagrams

• caluma, lumaca

Latin

Alternative forms

• macla (Mediaeval)

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *smatlo-, from Proto-Indo-European *smh₂tlo- (possibly meaning “wiping”); related to Ancient Greek σμάω ‎(smáō, “I wipe clean, cleanse”).

Pronunciation 1

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.la/, [ˈma.kʊ.ɫa]

Noun

macula f ‎(genitive maculae); first declension

1. in a bad sense
   1. (literally and in general) a spot, speck, small mark or stain
      1. (literally and in particular) a disfiguring spot, stain, or blemish
         1. (on the skin) a blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, etc.)
         2. (on a garment) a stain, an area of soiling or defilement
   2. (figuratively) a fault or blemish, a blot on one’s character
   3. (transferred sense) a mark of shame or disgrace; a stigma, brand, or blight
2. in a neutral sense
   1. any kind of marking or point of variegation; a speckle, spot, patch, line, or similar
      1. on the skin or coat of an animal
      2. on the leaves of a plant
   2. (transferred sense) a mesh in a net, a cell in a network, or a hole in a web
      1. (Medieval Latin, in particular) a cell in a coat of mail, a ring of chainmail
      2. (Medieval Latin, transferred sense) a link in a chain

Declension

First declension.

Derived terms

• Macula (cognomen)
• maculō
• maculōsus
• maculātūra

Descendants

Pronunciation 2

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.laː/, [ˈma.kʊ.ɫaː]

Noun

maculā f

1. ablative singular of macula

References

• măcŭla in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• macula in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• MACULA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “măcŭla”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette, page 935/2.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to blot out a reproach: maculam (conceptam) delere, eluere
    
  • (ambiguous) to sully one's fair fame: vitae splendori(em) maculas(is) aspergere
    
• “macula” on pages 1,058–1,059 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
• “macula, macla” on page 624/1 of Jan Frederik Niermeyer’s Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus (1976)
• de Vaan, Michiel, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, vol. 7 of Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series, Alexander Lubotsky ed., Leiden: Brill, 2008.

Portuguese

Verb

macula

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of macular
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of macular