Maltese

[ mawl-teez, -tees ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Malta, its people, or their language.

noun

, plural Mal·tese.

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

/ mɔːlˈtiːz /

adjective

1. of or relating to Malta, its inhabitants, or their language

noun

1. -tese 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Maltese¹

First recorded in 1605–15; Malt(a) + -ese

Example Sentences

The ship, owned by Maltese firm Ruby Enterprise, set off from the northern Russian port of Kandalaksha in July - with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on board.

From BBC

It either seems to be a feast or a famine for the Maltese - their current run is very good but prior to that they had only won three of their previous 14 matches.

From BBC

The new Maltese legislation is still strict, saying a woman must be at risk of death to obtain an abortion, and then only after three specialists consent.

From Seattle Times

Then in December the MV Ruen, a ship carrying a Maltese flag, was hijacked.

From BBC

“I’m a crazy Bogart fan. I have an original poster from ‘The Maltese Falcon.’

From Los Angeles Times