Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

macula

American  
[mak-yuh-luh] / ˈmæk yə lə /

noun

plural

maculae

  1. a spot or blotch, especially on one's skin; macule.

  2. 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.

macula British  
/ ˈmækjʊlə, ˈmækjuːl /

noun

  1. a small spot or area of distinct colour, esp the macula lutea

  2. any small discoloured spot or blemish on the skin, such as a freckle

"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
macula Scientific  
/ măk′yə-lə /

plural

maculae

  1. A minute yellowish area located near the center of the retina of the eye, at which visual perception is most acute.

  2. A discolored spot on the skin that is not elevated above the surface.

Other Word Forms

  • macular adjective
  • multimacular adjective

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.

It affects the macula, the central region of the retina that contains tightly packed cells used for sharp, detailed color vision.

From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2025

Dry AMD gradually destroys the light-sensitive cells of the macula, eroding central vision over time.

From Science Daily • Oct. 20, 2025

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

T. pedibus quatuor primis longioribus, cinereus thorace macula postica sublunari magna viridifusca, pedibus sub-geminatim fusco maculatis.

From Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Performed between the years 1818 and 1822 — Volume 2 by King, Phillip Parker

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.