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

In one scene, a Minion plays a detective character named “Humphrey,” a nod to Humphrey Bogart, grizzled hero of “The Big Sleep” and “The Maltese Falcon.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

I have ordered protein powder in America that took longer to arrive than the entire Maltese national election took to occur.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026

While stage designs vary in boldness, songs range from pop to heavy rock and electro and are performed in diverse languages from Maltese to Albanian.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

The Arctic Metagaz is now floating south away from Italian waters and the island of Lampedusa towards Libya, with Italian and Maltese officials continuing to monitor its movement.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 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