maculate

[ adjective mak-yuh-lit; verb mak-yuh-leyt ]
/ adjective ˈmæk yə lɪt; verb ˈmæk yəˌleɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR maculate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

spotted; stained.
Archaic. defiled; impure.

verb (used with object), mac·u·lat·ed, mac·u·lat·ing. Archaic.

to mark with a spot or spots; stain.
to sully or pollute.

Origin of maculate

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin maculātus (past participle of maculāre to spot, stain). See macula, -ate1

Words nearby maculate

macula utriculi, macular amyloidosis, macular area, macular degeneration, macular leprosy, maculate, maculation, macule, maculocerebral, maculoerythematous, maculopapular erythroderma

Words related to maculate

sully, debase, pollute, tarnish, smear, muddy, taint, smudge, degrade, contaminate, besmirch, tar, dishonor, discolor, desecrate, vitiate, speckle, mottle, spotted, checkered

Example sentences from the Web for maculate

  • His heavy, blunt hand fumbled under the maculate apron; his chest heaved with a sudden, tempestuous breathing.

    Wild Oranges |Joseph Hergesheimer

  • We are maculate, and it is given to no man to probe the mystery of existence.

    A Secret Inheritance (Volume 1 of 3) |B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon

  • Maculate -ed: spotted or marked with figures of any shape, of a color different from the ground.

    Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology |John. B. Smith

  • Josephina owns one unchanging dress, septic, maculate and repellent.

    I, Mary MacLane |Mary MacLane

British Dictionary definitions for maculate

maculate
/ archaic, or literary /

verb (ˈmækjʊˌleɪt)

(tr) to spot, stain, or pollute

adjective (ˈmækjʊlɪt)

spotted or polluted

Word Origin for maculate

C15: from Latin maculāre to stain

Medical definitions for maculate

maculate
[ măk′yə-lāt′ ]

v.

To spot or blemish.

adj.

Spotted or blotched.