macula
Americannoun
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a spot or blotch, especially on one's skin; macule.
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Ophthalmology.
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an opaque spot on the cornea.
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Also called macula lutea, yellow spot. an irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina, containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision.
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noun
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a small spot or area of distinct colour, esp the macula lutea
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any small discoloured spot or blemish on the skin, such as a freckle
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A minute yellowish area located near the center of the retina of the eye, at which visual perception is most acute.
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A discolored spot on the skin that is not elevated above the surface.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of macula
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: spot, blemish
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The disease affects the macula, a small area at the center of the retina that is essential for sharp, detailed vision.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
Excessive vascular growth damages the macula, the part of the eye that translates light into image signals.
From Science Daily • May 2, 2024
According to the RNIB, Stargardt disease is an inherited eye condition that affects the macula, the central part of the retina, and causes a reduction in vision there.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2024
But mouse retinas lack the macula, a key region found in human eyes that picks out fine details, so they are not an ideal model.
From Scientific American • Aug. 8, 2022
Reniform: kidney-shaped: applied to a macula approximating that shape, found at the end of median cell in many moths.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
