macula

noun

mac·u·la | \ ˈma-kyə-lə

plural maculae\ ˈma-kyə-ˌlē

, -ˌlī

\ also maculas

Definition of macula

1 : spot, blotch especially : macule

2a : an anatomical structure having the form of a spot differentiated from surrounding tissues

b : a small yellowish area lying slightly lateral to the center of the retina that is made up mostly of cones (see cone entry 1 sense 3a), plays a key role in visual acuity, and has the fovea at its center

— called also macula lutea, yellow spot

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The macula is responsible for the straight-ahead vision used for things like reading, driving, and seeing faces. — Korin Miller, SELF, "This Is How Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes," 8 Nov. 2018 Then there’s the related condition diabetic macular edema (DME), a repercussion of diabetic retinopathy that causes a buildup of fluid in a part of the retina called the macula, the NEI explains. — Korin Miller, SELF, "This Is How Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes," 8 Nov. 2018 The disease causes weakening of the macula, which is the small area at the center of the retina, which is specialized for fine vision. — Andrea K. Mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Ask the Expert: Macular degeneration can lead to difficulty reading, recognizing faces and performing other fine tasks," 17 Apr. 2018 Bleeding and swelling of the macula results in macular edema and eventually, maculopathy, while starvation of the retina leads to a chain-reaction of negative events that eventually results in diabetic retinopathy. — Jewish Journal, "Taking a stand against hookah smoking on Passover, or anytime," 12 Mar. 2018 This condition leads to a loss of sharp vision in the center of the retina (the macula). — Joe, The Seattle Times, "Saffron supplement may save eyesight," 28 Jan. 2018 Byproducts of the vitamin accumulate on the macula, in the back of the eye, eventually resulting in a loss of central vision, as if perpetually looking at the world through an eclipse. — Matthew Kronsberg, Bloomberg.com, "These Two Brothers Are Trying to Cure Blindness, One Henley at a Time," 22 Sep. 2017 Located on the opposite side of the lens, the macula includes the region of sharpest vision, the fovea. — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Dry macular degeneration stopped with low glycemic index diet in mouse study," 15 May 2017 The membrane can form over the macula , a region near the center of the retina that sharply focuses images, a crucial process for reading or seeing fine detail. — Christopher Wanjek, Fox News, "Robot completes delicate eye surgery in first," 10 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'macula.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for macula

Middle English, borrowed from Latin, "stain, spot, blemish, one of the interstices of a net," of uncertain origin

Note: If macula goes back to *sma-tlā, then *sma- may represent an Indo-European base *smh₁- seen in Greek smáō, smân "to cleanse, wipe clean," smêma "ointment."

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23 Apr 2019

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The first known use of macula was in the 14th century

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macula

noun

mac·u·la | \ ˈmak-yə-lə

plural maculae\ -ˌlē

, -ˌlī

\ also maculas

Medical Definition of macula

1 : a spot or blotch especially : macule sense 2

2 : an anatomical structure having the form of a spot differentiated from surrounding tissues: as

a : macula acustica

b : a small yellowish area lying slightly lateral to the center of the retina that is made up mostly of cones, plays a key role in visual acuity, and has the fovea at its center

— called also macula lutea, yellow spot