Pekingese

[ pee-kuh-neez, -nees; pee-king-eez, -ees ]

noun

, plural Pe·king·ese

1. one of a Chinese breed of small dogs having a long, silky coat.
2. the standard Chinese language.
3. the dialect of Peking.
4. a native or inhabitant of Peking.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Peking.

Pekingese

/ ˌpiːkəˈniːz; ˌpiːkɪŋˈiːz /

noun

1. -ese a small breed of pet dog with a profuse straight coat, curled plumed tail, and short wrinkled muzzle
2. the dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Beijing (formerly Peking), the pronunciation of which serves as a standard for the language
3. -ese a native or inhabitant of Beijing (formerly Peking)

adjective

1. of or relating to Beijing (formerly Peking) or its inhabitants

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pekingese¹

First recorded in 1840–50; Peking + -ese

Example Sentences

When I was growing up, my first memories as a little girl were. . . there was a Pekingese that I used to tease relentlessly, and she used to bite me.

From Salon

The prize for reserve best in show, or runner-up, went to the winner of the toy group, a Pekingese named Rummie, from breeder and owner David Fitzpatrick.

From Reuters

Roxie, a Pekingese, beat out the competition in the toy group to advance to the final stage:

From Los Angeles Times

Or the Pekingese could notch his breed’s third Westminster Kennel Club dog show win in little over a decade.

From Seattle Times

He was sometimes photographed with his two Pekingese dogs, ignoring Islamic teachings that dogs are impure and should not be kept as pets.

From New York Times