maculate

To spot; to stain; to blur.

Adjective

  1. Marked with spots or maculae; blotched.
  2. Defiled, impure.
    • [Les Misérables is] about the struggle of a mistreated man as he rises to the top, along with a mortal conflict between this maculate virtuous man and an immaculate pursuing demon. - 1998 May 25, The New Republic:

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).

Forms

more maculate most maculate

Verb

  1. To spot; to stain; to blur.
    • they wolde nat maculate the honour of their people with suche a reproche - 1531, Thomas Elyot, The Boke Named the Governour […], London: […] Tho[mas] Bertheleti, →OCLC:
    • There was a fresh smell in the air. Sidewalks began to be maculated with spreading areas of dryness - 1918, Louis Joseph Vance, “Chapter 21”, in The False Faces:
  2. past participle of maculate
    • That the honour of verteous gentil men, be nocht maculat vitht the vice ande inciuilite of vicius pretendit gentil men. - c. 1550, The Complaynt of Scotland:

Forms

maculates maculating maculated

Related

immaculate macula

Derived

bimaculate maculism