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. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
At the present moment a well-known lady fancier is striving to obtain a Dalmatian mouse.
The Harmsworth Magazine, Vol. 1, 1898-1899, No. 6|Various
And to those who make Sebenico their 93 second halting-place on the strictly Dalmatian coast it will have a special interest.
Sketches from the Subject and Neighbour Lands of Venice|Edward A. Freeman
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

They also show clearly that the Dalmatian levies far surpassed the Italian mercenaries in skill and courage.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9|Various
The ridges of the uplands are extensions of the Dalmatian coastal range that enters Albania from Yugoslavia.
Area Handbook for Albania|Eugene K. Keefe

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.