Maltese

American  

[mawl-teez, -tees] / mɔlˈtiz, -ˈtis /

adjective

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

---

noun

plural

Maltese

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 British  

/ mɔːlˈtiːz /

adjective

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

---

noun

1. 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

Etymology

Origin of Maltese

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

Example Sentences

Salvage experts are already in Malta in preparation for the ship's arrival in Maltese waters, while a specialist vessel is on its way, a maritime source told AFP on Sunday.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

It is currently unclear whether the actor left anything to his three children—Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie—whom he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 19, 2026

Then he would commute with his two Maltese dogs down the Hudson River in his boat to Saks’s Manhattan office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

I have a four-and-a-half pound Maltese who thinks she’s a 100-pound Rottweiler that can boss everybody around, especially me.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

There was definitely something going on with The Maltese Falcon.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman