macula

[mak-yuh-luh]

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.

Origin of macula

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for macular

Contemporary Examples of macular

And in her final years, when she was blinded by macular degeneration and suffocating with emphysema, vanity left her isolated.
Understanding Diana Vreeland, ‘Empress of Fashion’
Robin Givhan
November 28, 2012
When RPE cells die, as they do in macular degeneration, the photoreceptors begin to die, too, and the patient goes blind.
Saving Sight, Testing Faith
Sharon Begley
May 16, 2011

Historical Examples of macular

The macular or flat variety is usually seen about the eyelids.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
The macular, papular, and bullous eruptions are most common.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
It is not to be confounded with vitiligo, chloasma, or the macular syphiloderm.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
Spot, as in macular, relating to or marked by macules, or spotted.
Surgery, with Special Reference to Podiatry
Maximilian Stern
As a rule these clear up satisfactorily unless the macular region be involved.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for macular

macula

macule (ˈmækjuːl)

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 Formsmacular, 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

Word Origin and History for macular

adj.

1822, from macula + -ar.

macula

plural maculae, from Latin macula "spot, stain," used of various spots (sunspots, markings on minerals, etc.), of uncertain origin. Especially the macula lutea in the eye.

macular in Medicine

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.

Related formsmac′u•lar adj.

macular in Science

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.