Maltese

American  

[mawl-teez, -tees] / mɔlˈtiz, -ˈtis /

adjective

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

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noun

plural

Maltese

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

Etymology

Origin of Maltese

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

Example Sentences

It is currently unclear whether the actor left anything to his three children—Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie—whom he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese.

From MarketWatch

Then he would commute with his two Maltese dogs down the Hudson River in his boat to Saks’s Manhattan office.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the wake of the shipwreck, migrant rescue charity Alarm Phone said it had alerted the Italian and Maltese authorities to the boat's plight, but accused both of delaying the rescue.

From Barron's

One body was recovered, with Italian and Maltese patrol vessels and Italian planes taking part in the search.

From Barron's

The Maltese government said everyone aboard the ship was "confirmed safe" and that a fire onboard the ship was "brought under control overnight".

From BBC