Macula

1.

măcŭla, ae, f. [for malocula, malcula, dim.; cf. Sanscr. mala, dirt], a spot, mark, stain (class.).

I.

Lit.

A.

In gen., Plin. 37, 10, 56, § 155:

(bos) maculis insignis et albo,

i. e. with white spots, Verg. G. 3, 56:

maculis albis equus,

id. A. 9, 49:

maculis auro squalentibus ardens (rex apum),

id. G. 4, 91: in ipsis quasi maculis (terra), ubi habitatur, in those spots, i. e. small places, Cic. Rep. 6, 19 fin.:

parcit cognatis maculis similis fera,

Juv. 15, 160; cf. 5, 104.—

2.

Transf., a mesh in a net, a hole in network or in a web:

rete grandibus maculis,

Varr. R. R. 3, 11, 3; Col. 8, 15, 1:

reticulum minutis maculis,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 11, § 27:

retia maculis distincta,

Ov. H. 5, 19. —Of the meshes of a spider's web, Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 81.—

B.

In partic., a spot, stain, blot, blemish, mole, etc.:

maculari corpus maculis luridis,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 63:

est corporis macula, naevus,

Cic. N. D. 1, 28, 79:

maculas auferre de vestibus,

Ov. F. 3, 821:

extrahere,

Plin. 20, 13, 50, § 120:

in veste facere,

id. 12, 25, 54, § 123:

e veste abluere,

id. 28, 7, 23, § 109:

mederi maculis corporis,

id. 36, 19, 33, § 140; cf.:

lentigines ac maculas e facie tollere,

id. 20, 2, 4, § 9.—

II.

Trop. (acc. to I. B.), a blot, stain, stigma, blemish, fault in character: quem scis scire tuas omnes maculasque notasque, Lucil. ap. Non. 350, 13:

inest amoris macula huic homini in pectore,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 70:

jam ego ex corpore exigam omnis maculas maerorum tibi,

id. Capt. 4, 2, 61: vitium commune omnium est, Quod nimium ad rem in senecta attenti sumus: hanc maculam nos decet Effugere, * Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 31:

delenda vobis est illa macula, Mithridatico bello suscepta,

Cic. Imp. Pomp. 3, 7:

est hujus saeculi labes quaedam et macula, virtuti invidere,

id. Balb. 6, 15:

vitae splendorem maculis aspergere,

id. Planc. 12, 30:

furtorum et flagitiorum,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 46, § 121:

adulescentiae,

id. ib. 1, 4, 11:

familiae,

id. Clu. 5, 12:

in oratione nitida notabile humilius verbum et velut macula,

Quint. 8, 3, 18; 8, 5, 28:

ne Claudiae genti eam inustam maculam vellent,

Liv. 3, 58:

plurima sunt nitidis maculam haesuram figentia rebus,

enduring disgrace, Juv. 14, 2.

2.

Măcŭla, ae, m., a Roman surname, e. g. of Q. Pompeius, Cic. Fam. 6, 19, 1.