Dalmatian

[dal-mey-shuh n]

adjective

of or relating to Dalmatia or its people.

noun

an inhabitant of Dalmatia, especially a member of the native Slavic-speaking people of Dalmatia.
Also called coach dog, Dalmatian dog. one of a breed of short-haired dogs having a white coat marked with black or brown spots.
a Romance language of Dalmatia, extinct since 1898.

Origin of Dalmatian

First recorded in 1575–85; Dalmati(a) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dalmatian

Contemporary Examples of dalmatian

Budweiser: Dalmatian Trains Clydesdale Year: 2008 Ad Meter Score: 8.73 Kellogg Grade: A Share Price Change: -0.99 percent 14.
20 Most Effective Super Bowl Ads (VIDEO)
Lauren Streib
January 31, 2013

Historical Examples of dalmatian

There was also a feeling that the Dalmatian forests were a source of pride to the people.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1
Henry Baerlein
In this way he saved a great many of the Dalmatian intelligentsia.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1
Henry Baerlein
His ears are for the most part white, while those of the Dalmatian are usually black.
Anecdotes of Dogs
Edward Jesse
She wore a long Dalmatian capote with the hood drawn over her head.
The Shadow of the Czar
John R. Carling
I have loved you in secret from the day when I set eyes on you in the Dalmatian convent.
The Shadow of the Czar
John R. Carling

British Dictionary definitions for dalmatian

Dalmatian

noun

Also called (esp formerly): carriage dog, coach dog a large breed of dog having a short smooth white coat with black or (in liver-spotted dalmatians) brown spots
a native or inhabitant of Dalmatia

adjective

of or relating to Dalmatia or its inhabitants

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dalmatian

Dalmatian

1810, spotted dog, presumably named for Dalmatia, but dog breeders argue over whether there is a Croatian ancestry for the breed, which seems to be represented in Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes. Popular in early 1800s as a carriage dog, to trot alongside carriages and guard them in owner's absence. Even fire departments nowadays tend to spell it *Dalmation.