Shih Tzu
noun
one of a Tibetan breed of toy dogs having a long luxurious coat of any color, formerly bred in imperial China as a pet of the nobility.
Shih Tzu
American
[shee dzoo]
/ ˈʃi ˈdzu /
noun
shih-tzu
British
/ ˈʃiːˈtsuː /
noun
Etymology
Origin of Shih Tzu
1945–50; < Chinese (Wade-Giles) shih 1 tzŭ ( kou 3 ), (pinyin) shīzi ( gǒu ) literally, lion (dog)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Still, the incident remains a happy ending for the puppy, who will join the Beerling home — and a Shih Tzu sibling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
They brought their most valuable belongings, including a Scottish Straight cat and a Shih Tzu dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025
The couple’s dog, a small white Shih Tzu named Cuddles, was also missing.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2024
Nationally, the French bulldog, golden retriever, German shepherd and Shih Tzu round out the top five dog breeds.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
In late August, we got a box full of rescued Shih Tzu puppies.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
In Liverpool, for example, a shih-tzu puppy named Hope, which was rejected by its mother, was adopted by a Siamese cat whose kittens were born on the same day.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2023
Eddie was joined by Boycie, a shih-tzu, in 2014; Conchita, a Maltese, in 2015; Arfur, a mongrel puppy, in 2017; Nancy, another mongrel puppy, in 2020; and Sausage, a wire-haired dachshund, in 2021.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2023
A total of 96 shih-tzu dogs have been rescued from a breeding home.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2022
I also got a little dog – a teacup shih-tzu called Biggie – who wasn’t always toilet-trained.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 30, 2019
Her husband is at home, looking after their blind shih-tzu.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 31, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
