macula

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a patch of skin that is discolored but not usually elevated

   The dermatologist measured the flat pigmented macula on the patient's arm.

2. 2
   noun

   a small yellowish central area of the retina that is rich in cones and that mediates clear detailed vision

   Damage to the macula can impair detailed central vision.

From Middle English macula (“spot on the skin or in the eye”), borrowed from Latin macula (“spot, stain”). Doublet of macchia and macule.

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