mácula

See also: macula and Macula

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *smeh₂-der.

Proto-Indo-European *smh₂-tló-m

Proto-Italic *smatlom

Latin maculabor.

Portuguese mácula

Borrowed from Latin macula. Doublet of mancha, malha, mágoa, and mangra.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.lɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.lɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.la/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ku.lɐ/

• Rhymes: -akulɐ
• Hyphenation: má‧cu‧la

Noun

mácula f (plural máculas)

1. stain (discoloured spot or area)

   Synonyms: mancha, nódoa

2. blemish (small flaw which spoils the appearance of something)

   Synonym: defeito

3. (figurative) stain; blemish (a flaw on one’s character or reputation)

   Synonym: estigma

4. (ophthalmology) macula (oval-shaped pigmented area near the centre of the retina)

Related terms

• imaculado
• maculado
• macular
• mágoa
• malha
• mancha
• mangra

Further reading

• “mácula”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “mácula”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *smeh₂-der.

Proto-Indo-European *smh₂-tló-m

Proto-Italic *smatlom

Latin maculabor.

Spanish mácula

Borrowed from Latin macula. Doublet of mancha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmakula/ [ˈma.ku.la]
• Rhymes: -akula
• Syllabification: má‧cu‧la

Noun

mácula f (plural máculas)

1. (anatomy) macula (spot near the center of the retina)

   Synonym: mácula lútea

2. (poetic) stain (discolored spot or area)

   Synonym: mancha

Related terms

• macular

Further reading

• “mácula”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025