Skip to the word

Added 8 October 2026

maculate

/ˈmækjʊleɪt/ verb

Latin root: maculātus First recorded: 15th century Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about maculate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically.
The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air
Spot, stain, or pollute.
The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it

adjective

Morally blemished; stained or impure.
Spotted or blotched.

Origin

First attested during the last quarter of the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English maculaten (“to spoil, polute”), borrowed from Latin maculātus, perfect passive participle of maculō (“to spot”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word