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

Every Maltese resident was to live within a 10-minute walk of green space, on an island composed largely of limestone, concrete, and the parking lot of a Lidl, that overall turns brown in the summer.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

The tanker, part of a shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Russian oil and gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters earlier this month.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Salvage experts are already in Malta in preparation for the ship's arrival in Maltese waters, while a specialist vessel is on its way, a maritime source told AFP on Sunday.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

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 • Jan. 19, 2026

By the end of Mr. Quisling’s class, Emily’s mind had drifted away from the Roman Empire and back to The Maltese Falcon clue.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman