Dictionary.com

maculate

[ adjective mak-yuh-lit; verb mak-yuh-leyt ]
/ adjective ˈmæk yə lɪt; verb ˈmæk yəˌleɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: maculate / maculated / maculates / maculating 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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of maculate

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

Words nearby maculate

macruran, macrurous, macula, macula lutea, macular degeneration, maculate, maculation, macule, macumba, macushla, Macy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to maculate

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

How to use maculate in a sentence

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
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
FEEDBACK