Etymology: L, macula, spot. 1 a small flat blemish or discoloration that is level with the skin surface. Examples are freckles and some rashes. Compare papule. 2 a gray scar on the cornea that is visible without magnification. macular, adj. Macule.
Stock Market. The stock market is the community of individuals and corporations engaged in the buying and selling of shares of companies, called stocks, on the open market. Shares of stock are traded on a stock exchange and are tracked on indices such as the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. In the U.S., the stock market is commonly referred to as Wall Street, the eight-block region in lower Manhattan in New York where many of the nationâs major financial institutions are based.
U.S. stock exchange, founded 1971, an acronym from National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. An electronic stock market, where all trading takes place through NASDAQ's computer network rather than at a central trading location. Started in 1971, NASDAQ surpassed the New York Stock Exchange in annual share volume during the 1990s, mainly because of its popularity with investors of emerging high-tech companies.