Shih Tzu

American

[shee dzoo] / ˈʃi ˈdzu /

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 British

/ ˈʃiːˈtsuː /

noun

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

"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

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.

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

Their dog, a small Shih Tzu named Cuddles, is also missing.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023