Meaning

noun a cooler darker spot appearing periodically on the sun's photosphere; associated with a strong magnetic field

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

noun a patch of skin that is discolored but not usually elevated; caused by various diseases

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0