Maltese

[ mawl-teez, -tees ]

/ mɔlˈtiz, -ˈtis /

Save This Word!

adjective

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

noun, plural Mal·tese.

a native or inhabitant of Malta.

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

Maltese cat.

Maltese dog.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Maltese

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

Words nearby Maltese

Malta, Malta fever, maltase, malted, malted milk, Maltese, Maltese cat, Maltese cross, Maltese dog, malt extract, maltha

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Maltese in a sentence

These tigers were described as “marvelously beautiful” with bodies “a deep shade of Maltese, changing into almost deep blue on the under parts.”
How Neutral Theory Altered Ideas About Biodiversity|Christie Wilcox|December 8, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Robert Graves thought Hammett was better than either Chandler or Asbury and called The Maltese Falcon, “a literary landmark.”
The Man With Stories to Tell|Allen Barra|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“So I called out of the clear blue sky with no agenda,” she remembers, as she holds up her Maltese, Max, for smooches.
Meet Mariann From Brooklyn, Howard Stern’s Biggest Fan|Kevin Fallon|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Not at all, as it turns out: He is worried about his little Maltese, which has a persistent liver infection.
Paul Bremer's Victory Lap|Tunku Varadarajan|March 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Bonaparte attacked Valetta, in Malta, and in a sortie the Maltese lost the standard of their order.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The flag of the club is the blue ensign of Her Majesty's fleet, with a gold crown and Maltese cross.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
The second is cloathed with hair, and in size resembles our little Maltese dogs.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
Our next recruit was a little Maltese terrier, named Lisette, which raised the number to fourteen.
The Animal Story Book|Various
Fig. 190 shows an Etruscan bronze fibula with two Swastikas and two Maltese crosses in the pin shield.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for Maltese

Maltese

/ (mɔːlˈtiːz) /

adjective

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

noun

plural -tese a native or inhabitant of Malta

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

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

a domestic fancy pigeon having long legs and a long neck

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