1920s; earliest use found in Aldous Huxley (1894–1963), writer. From Corsican macchia thicket (lit. ‘spot’, after the spotted appearance of hillsides dotted with such thickets) from classical Latin macula.
Definition of macchia in US English:
macchia
nounˈmɑːkɪə
Maquis.
Origin
1920s; earliest use found in Aldous Huxley (1894–1963), writer. From Corsican macchia thicket (lit. ‘spot’, after the spotted appearance of hillsides dotted with such thickets) from classical Latin macula.