maculate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
    tarnish; sully; stain; defile.
    • The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air
    • Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man
  2. verb spot, stain, or pollute
    defile; befoul; foul.
    • The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it
  3. adjective satellite morally blemished; stained or impure
    defiled.
  4. adjective satellite spotted or blotched

WordNet

Mac"u*late transitive verb
Etymology
L. maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot. See Macula, and cf. Macule, v.
Definitions
  1. To spot; to stain; to blur.
    Maculate the honor of their people. Sir T. Elyot.
Mac"u*late adjective
Etymology
L. maculatus, p. p.
Definitions
  1. Marked with spots or maculæ; blotched; hence, defiled; impure; as, most maculate thoughts. Shak.

Webster 1913