LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

macula1

macula f (genitive maculae)
Classical[ˈma.kʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈmaː.ku.la]

Meaning

  1. feminineliterallyusuallya spot, speck, small mark or stain
  2. feminineliterallyusuallya blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, etc.)
  3. feminineliterallyusuallya stain, an area of soiling or defilement
  4. femininefigurativelya fault or blemish, a blot on one’s character
  5. femininea mark of shame or disgrace; a stigma, brand, or blight
  6. feminineon the skin or coat of an animal
  7. feminineon the leaves of a plant
  8. Medieval Latinfemininea cell in a coat of mail, a ring of mail armour
  9. Medieval Latinfemininea link in a chain

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Vitium · Menda · Mendum · Labes · Macula

Vitium (from αὐάτη, ἄτη), denotes any fault; menda (μάτη), a natural fault, especially of the body, a blemish, like βλάβη; mendum, a fault committed, especially in writing, a blunder or mistake, like ἁμάρτημα; labes (λώβη), a degrading fault, a stain of ignominy, like λύμη; macula (dimin. from μῶκος), a disfiguring fault, a blot, like κηλίς. (v. 319.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemaculamaculae
maclae
genitivemaculae
maclae		maculārum
maclārum
dativemaculae
maclae		maculīs
maclīs
accusativemaculam
maclam		maculās
maclās
ablativemaculāmaculīs
maclīs
vocativemaculamaculae
maclae

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

maculam (conceptam) delere, eluere
to blot out a reproach.
vitae splendori(em) maculas(is) aspergere
to sully one's fair fame.

măcŭla, ae, f. for malocula, malcula, dim.; cf. Sanscr. mala, dirt,
I. a spot, mark, stain (class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., Plin. 37, 10, 56, § 155: (bos) maculis insignis et albo, i. e. with white spots, Verg. G. 3, 56: maculis albis equus, id. A. 9, 49: maculis auro squalentibus ardens (rex apum), id. G. 4, 91: in ipsis quasi maculis (terra), ubi habitatur, in those spots, i. e. small places, Cic. Rep. 6, 19 fin.: parcit cognatis maculis similis fera, Juv. 15, 160; cf. 5, 104.—
2. Transf., a mesh in a net, a hole in network or in a web: rete grandibus maculis, Varr. R. R. 3, 11, 3; Col. 8, 15, 1: reticulum minutis maculis, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 11, § 27: retia maculis distincta, Ov. H. 5, 19. —Of the meshes of a spider's web, Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 81.—
B. In partic., a spot, stain, blot, blemish, mole, etc.: maculari corpus maculis luridis, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 63: est corporis macula, naevus, Cic. N. D. 1, 28, 79: maculas auferre de vestibus, Ov. F. 3, 821: extrahere, Plin. 20, 13, 50, § 120: in veste facere, id. 12, 25, 54, § 123: e veste abluere, id. 28, 7, 23, § 109: mederi maculis corporis, id. 36, 19, 33, § 140; cf.: lentigines ac maculas e facie tollere, id. 20, 2, 4, § 9.—
II. Trop. (acc. to I. B.), a blot, stain, stigma, blemish, fault in character: quem scis scire tuas omnes maculasque notasque, Lucil. ap. Non. 350, 13: inest amoris macula huic homini in pectore, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 70: jam ego ex corpore exigam omnis maculas maerorum tibi, id. Capt. 4, 2, 61: vitium commune omnium est, Quod nimium ad rem in senecta attenti sumus: hanc maculam nos decet Effugere, * Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 31: delenda vobis est illa macula, Mithridatico bello suscepta, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 3, 7: est hujus saeculi labes quaedam et macula, virtuti invidere, id. Balb. 6, 15: vitae splendorem maculis aspergere, id. Planc. 12, 30: furtorum et flagitiorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 46, § 121: adulescentiae, id. ib. 1, 4, 11: familiae, id. Clu. 5, 12: in oratione nitida notabile humilius verbum et velut macula, Quint. 8, 3, 18; 8, 5, 28: ne Claudiae genti eam inustam maculam vellent, Liv. 3, 58: plurima sunt nitidis maculam haesuram figentia rebus, enduring disgrace, Juv. 14, 2.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*smeH-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sm̥Htlóm
  3. Latinmacula

Proto-Italic *smaklomder. Latin macula Derived from Proto-Italic *smaklom, from Proto-Indo-European *sm̥H-tló-m, from a root *smeH- (“to wipe”). Perhaps related to Ancient Greek σμᾰ́ω (smắō, “to wipe clean, cleanse”).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanmàcula
  • Italianmacula
  • Englishmaculafrom Middle English macula
  • Frenchmaculefrom Middle French macule
  • Englishmaculefrom Middle French macule
  • Englishmacklefrom Middle French macule
  • GermanMakelfrom Old High German makel
  • Portuguesemácula
  • Portuguesemágoa
  • Spanishmácula
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchmaillefrom Old French maille
  • Englishmailfrom Old French maille
  • Portuguesemalhafrom Old French maille
  • Spanishmallafrom Old French maille
  • Scotsmailfrom Old French maille
  • Galicianmallafrom Old French maille
  • Ladinomayafrom Old French maille
  • Ladinoמאייהfrom Old French maille
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesemalhafrom Old Galician-Portuguese malla
  • Portuguesemancha
  • Spanishmancha
  • Englishmanchafrom Spanish mancha
  • Aragonesemalla
  • Galicianmallafrom Old Galician-Portuguese malla
  • Asturianmancha
  • Galicianmancha
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanmalla
  • Occitanmalha
  • Italianmagliafrom Occitan malha
  • Sicilianmagghiafrom Occitan malha
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianmacchia
  • Corsicanmachja
  • Corsicanmacchja
  • Neapolitanmacchia
  • Sicilianmacchia
  • Venetanmacia
Gallo-Italic
  • Sardinianmàciafrom Ligurian màccia
  • Emilianmacia
  • Lombardmàcia
  • Lombardmàgia
  • Piedmontesemacia
  • Romagnolmacia
  • Emiliansmaciafrom Vulgar Latin *exmacla
  • Lombardsmagiafrom Vulgar Latin *exmacla
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianmagle
  • Ladinmacia
  • Ladintacia
  • Romanshmacla
  • Romanshmachel
proper noun · masculinefirst declension
Macula2
Macula m sg (genitive Maculae)
Classical[ˈma.kʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈmaː.ku.la]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingulara Roman cognomen
    Quintus Pompeius Macula

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeMacula—
genitiveMaculae—
dativeMaculae—
accusativeMaculam—
ablativeMaculā—
vocativeMacula—

Măcŭla, ae, m.,
I. a Roman surname, e. g. of Q. Pompeius, Cic. Fam. 6, 19, 1.

Origins

Use as a masculine proper noun of the feminine common noun macula (“a disfiguring spot, stain, or blemish on the skin”).

Quick answers

What does macula mean in Latin?
macula, a noun, means “a spot, speck, small mark or stain; a blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, etc.); a stain, an area of soiling or defilement”.
What is the genitive of macula?
The genitive singular is maculae. macula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce macula?
In classical Latin, [ˈma.kʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmaː.ku.la].
Where does macula come from?
Proto-Indo-European *smeH- → Proto-Indo-European *sm̥Htlóm → Latin macula.