Shih Tzu

American  

[shee dzoo] / ˈʃi ˈdzu /

noun

1. 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 British  

/ ˈʃiːˈtsuː /

noun

1. a small dog of a breed derived from crossing the Pekingese and the Tibetan apso. It has a long straight dense coat and carries its tail curled over its back

---

Etymology

Origin of Shih Tzu

1945–50; < Chinese (Wade-Giles) shih 1 tzŭ ( kou 3 ), (pinyin) shīzi ( gǒu ) literally, lion (dog)

Example Sentences

They brought their most valuable belongings, including a Scottish Straight cat and a Shih Tzu dog.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though dogs are so close genetically close to wolves that many taxonomists consider them to be a subspecies, most people wouldn't let a wolf lick their hand as readily as a Shih Tzu.

From Salon

Fushcia-Ann Hoover, a hydrologist who published “A Black Girl’s Guide to Foraging,” forages in her Annapolis, Md., neighborhood, where she’s well-known and makes a point of taking her sister’s adorable Shih Tzu dog with her.

From New York Times

In late August, we got a box full of rescued Shih Tzu puppies.

From Literature

This 13-year-old Shih Tzu rescue dog with a vestibular disease that caused a hearing impairment and an adorable head tilt, is owned by some MTV-show creating hipster.

From Time