mac·u·late (m k y -l t )tr.v. mac·u·lat·ed, mac·u·lat·ing, mac·u·lates To spot, blemish, or pollute. adj. (-l  t)1. Spotted or blotched. 2. Stained; impure. [Middle English maculaten, from Latin macul re, macult-, from macula, spot.] |
maculate Archaic or literary
vb [ˈmækjʊˌleɪt]
(tr) to spot, stain, or pollute
adj [ˈmækjʊlɪt]
spotted or polluted
[from Latin maculāre to stain]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Verb | 1. | maculate - make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man" darken - tarnish or stain; "a scandal that darkened the family's good name" |
| 2. |  maculate - spot, stain, or pollute; "The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it" | |
| Adj. | 1. | maculate - morally blemished; stained or impure impure - (used of persons or behaviors) immoral or obscene; "impure thoughts" |
| 2. | maculate - spotted or blotched dirty, soiled, unclean - soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime; "dirty unswept sidewalks"; "a child in dirty overalls"; "dirty slums"; "piles of dirty dishes"; "put his dirty feet on the clean sheet"; "wore an unclean shirt"; "mining is a dirty job"; "Cinderella did the dirty work while her sisters preened themselves" |
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