macula
English
![](../I/m/Human_eye_cross-sectional_view_grayscale.png)
Illustration showing parts of the human eye, including the macula.
Etymology
From Middle English macula (“spot on the skin or in the eye”), borrowed from Latin macula (“spot, stain”). Doublet of macchia.
Noun
macula (plural maculae)
- (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.
- A spot, as on the skin, or on the surface of the sun or of some other luminous orb.
- A rather large spot or blotch of color.
- 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
anatomy: yellow spot near the center of retina
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spot
large blot or splotch
Catalan
French
Italian
Alternative forms
Noun
macula f (plural macule)
Synonyms
- (stain, blot): macchia
Related terms
Further reading
macula on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia it
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
- in a bad sense
- (literally and in general) a spot, speck, small mark or stain
- (literally and in particular) a disfiguring spot, stain, or blemish
- (on the skin) a blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, etc.)
- (on a garment) a stain, an area of soiling or defilement
- (literally and in particular) a disfiguring spot, stain, or blemish
- (figuratively) a fault or blemish, a blot on one’s character
- (transferred sense) a mark of shame or disgrace; a stigma, brand, or blight
- (literally and in general) a spot, speck, small mark or stain
- in a neutral sense
- any kind of marking or point of variegation; a speckle, spot, patch, line, or similar
- on the skin or coat of an animal
- on the leaves of a plant
- (transferred sense) a mesh in a net, a cell in a network, or a hole in a web
- (Medieval Latin, in particular) a cell in a coat of mail, a ring of chainmail
- (Medieval Latin, transferred sense) a link in a chain
- any kind of marking or point of variegation; a speckle, spot, patch, line, or similar
Declension
First declension.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | macula | maculae |
Genitive | maculae | maculārum |
Dative | maculae | maculīs |
Accusative | maculam | maculās |
Ablative | maculā | maculīs |
Vocative | macula | maculae |
Derived terms
- Macula (cognomen)
- maculō
- maculōsus
- maculātūra
Descendants
- Asturian: mancha
- Catalan: malla, màcula
- Czech: machule
- English: macula (borrowing directly from Latin), mail (via French), macle (possibly; via French), mackle and macule (via French), macchia (via Italian), maquis (via French from Corsican)
- French: maille, macule (borrowing), maquis (borrowing from Corsican)
- Friulian: magle
- Galician: mágoa (“sorrow”), mancha
- Italian: macchia, macula (borrowing)
- Occitan: malha
- Portuguese: mancha, malha (“mail”) (via French), malha (“stain in animal fur”) (directly from Latin), mágoa, mácula (borrowing), macla (possibly; via French), mangra, maquis (via French from Corsican)
- Sicilian: macchia
- Slovak machuľa
- Spanish: mancha, mácula (borrowing), mangla
- Venetian: macia
Pronunciation 2
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈma.ku.laː/, [ˈma.kʊ.ɫaː]
Noun
maculā f
- 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)
- măcŭla in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette, page 935/2
- Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (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
- to blot out a reproach: maculam (conceptam) delere, eluere
- “macula” on pages 1,058–1,059 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
- Niermeyer, Jan Frederik (1976), “macula, macla”, in Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 624/1
- 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.
Middle English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmakiu̯la/
Noun
macula (plural maculas)
- (Late Middle English, rare) A lesion on the eye.
- (Late Middle English, rare) A lesion on the skin.
Descendants
- English: macula
References
- “macula (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-09.
Portuguese
Spanish
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