Pekingese

[ pee-kuh-neez, -nees; especially for 2-5 also pee-king-eez, -ees ]

noun,plural Pe·king·ese for 1, 4.
  1. one of a Chinese breed of small dogs having a long, silky coat.

  2. the standard Chinese language.

  1. the dialect of Peking.

  2. a native or inhabitant of Peking.

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Peking.

Origin of Pekingese

1
First recorded in 1840–50; Peking + -ese
  • Also Pe·kin·ese [pee-kuh-neez, -nees]. /ˌpi kəˈniz, -ˈnis/.

Words Nearby Pekingese

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Pekingese in a sentence

  • Inside was an elderly lady, and in her arms was a russet Pekingese.

    A Boswell of Baghdad | E. V. Lucas
  • The Pekingese are very discriminative and frequently condescendingly refer to all other Chinese as "outside men" or "foreigners."

    Life and sport in China | Oliver G. Ready
  • On one occasion, when making "a little trip to Japan," I took my Pekingese boy with me.

    Life and sport in China | Oliver G. Ready

British Dictionary definitions for Pekingese

Pekingese

Pekinese (ˌpiːkəˈniːz)

/ (ˌpiːkɪŋˈiːz) /


noun
  1. plural -ese a small breed of pet dog with a profuse straight coat, curled plumed tail, and short wrinkled muzzle

  2. the dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Beijing (formerly Peking), the pronunciation of which serves as a standard for the language

  1. plural -ese a native or inhabitant of Beijing (formerly Peking)

adjective
  1. of or relating to Beijing (formerly Peking) or its inhabitants

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