măcŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [1. macula], to make spotted, to spot, speckle, variegate.
- I. Lit.
- A. In gen. (only poet.), to stain, tinge, dye: telas maculare ostro, Val. Fl. 4, 368: et multo maculatum murice tigrim, id. 6, 704.
- B. In partic., to spot, stain, defile, pollute: maculari corpus maculis luridis, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 63: solum sanguine, Cat. 63, 7; cf.: terram tabo, Verg. A. 3, 29: dextra maculata cruore, Ov. de Nuce, 157.
- II. Trop. (acc. to I. B.), to defile, dishonor, disgrace, etc. (freq. in Cic.): rex ille optimi regis caede maculatus, Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46; cf.: partus suos parricidio, Liv. 1, 13: nemora nefario stupro, Cic. Mil. 31, 85: Catonis splendorem, id. Sest. 28, 60: tuum maculavi crimine nomen, Verg. A. 10, 851: inde metus maculat poenarum praemia vitae, spoils, Lucr. 5, 1151: obsoleta quoque (verba) et maculantia ex sordidiore vulgi usu ponit, Gell. 16, 7, 4.
Hence, măcŭ-lātim, adv., in a spotted or mottled fashion (late Lat.), Aug. Gen. ad Lit. 5, 10.