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macula

[ mak-yuh-luh ]
/ ˈmæk yə lə /
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noun, plural mac·u·lae [mak-yuh-lee]. /ˈmæk yəˌli/.

a spot or blotch, especially on one's skin; macule.
Ophthalmology.
  1. an opaque spot on the cornea.
  2. 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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Origin of macula

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin: spot, blemish

OTHER WORDS FROM macula

mac·u·lar, adjectivemul·ti·mac·u·lar, adjective

Words nearby macula

macrostructure, macrotia, macrotous, macruran, macrurous, macula, macula adherens, macula atrophica, macula cerulea, macula corneae, macula cribrosa
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to macula

freckle, blot, bruise, wart, blotch, smudge, imperfection, pimple, snag, stigma, stain, scar, discoloration, blemish, mole, disgrace, disfigurement, chip, birthmark, second

Example sentences from the Web for macula

British Dictionary definitions for macula

macula

macule (ˈmækjuːl)

/ (ˈmækjʊlə) /

noun plural -ulae (-jʊˌliː) or -ules anatomy

a small spot or area of distinct colour, esp the macula lutea
any small discoloured spot or blemish on the skin, such as a freckle

Derived forms of macula

macular, adjective

Word Origin for macula

C14: from Latin
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

Medical definitions for macula

macula
[ măk′yə-lə ]

n. pl. mac•u•las

Also mac•ule (-yōōl′) A discolored spot or area on the skin that is not elevated above the surface and is characteristic of certain conditions, such as smallpox, purpura, or roseola.
An opaque spot on the cornea.
The macula lutea.

Other words from macula

mac′u•lar adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for macula

macula
[ măk′yə-lə ]

Plural maculae (măk′yə-lē′) maculas

A minute yellowish area located near the center of the retina of the eye, at which visual perception is most acute.
A discolored spot on the skin that is not elevated above the surface.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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