Maltese

American  

[mawl-teez, -tees] / mɔlˈtiz, -ˈtis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Malta, its people, or their language.

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noun

• Maltese
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of Malta.

2. the Arabic dialect spoken in Malta, using many Italian words.

3. Maltese cat.

4. Maltese dog.

Maltese British  

/ mɔːlˈtiːz /

adjective

1. of or relating to Malta, its inhabitants, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Malta

2. the official language of Malta, a form of Arabic with borrowings from Italian, etc

3. a breed of toy dog having a very long straight silky white coat

4. a domestic fancy pigeon having long legs and a long neck

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Maltese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Maltese

First recorded in 1605–15; Malt(a) + -ese

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Maltese

This inspires Rhoda with a plot for a noir Maltese murder mystery—minus any falcons—that will open up a new career for her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Rhoda the unflappable,” as Leonie thinks of her, makes short work of locating her quarry in a run-down villa on the small Maltese island of Gozo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Megrahi is also said to have visited a Maltese clothes shop, buying shirts and baby grows - which were placed in the suitcase with the bomb and later found at the plane crash site.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

I asked a Maltese acquaintance who he was voting for.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026

This private detective is the creation of San Francisco’s own literary son, Dashiell Hammett, and appeared in his novel The Maltese Falcon, as well as three short stories.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman