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Glite Dictionary
🇲🇹 From Malta 🐶 A small white dog 🧑 A person from Malta 🗣️ The Malta language 🐈 A blue-grey cat
Maltese

Maltese

4.1
A house cat with short blue grey fur
  • noun
  • /mɔːlˈtiːz/
  • Archaic
translation icon : gato maltés
  • In the United States, a Maltese cat is known for its beautiful bluish-grey fur and playful personality.

Examples

  • Needless to say, the cat Oswald fantasizes as the bewitching black cat is Kitch, even though by 2003 she was pretty well known to be a gray Maltese.

    Academic text (2015)

  • She adopted a Maltese cat that instantly captured her heart with its charming demeanor.

  • The drop ears with long hair, surrounded by darker skin pigmentation, give Maltese their expressive look.

    Blog text (26)

  • The Maltese is a popular breed among cat lovers for its affectionate nature and stunning appearance.

Synonyms

cat
vsMaltese
∞ 1.0

A small, furry pet or a large wild animal like a lion

is limited to bluish-grey short-haired domestic animals rather than all wild and domestic species
domestic cat
vsMaltese
3 1.0

A small furry animal people keep as a pet that often catches mice

focuses on bluish-grey short fur across breeds rather than general pet type
Maltese cat
vsMaltese
  • US
4.9

A cat with short blue-grey fur and a gentle nature

is the shorter single-word name used particularly in US usage

Compounds

Maltese cat
  • US
4.9

A cat with short blue-grey fur and a gentle nature

maltese cross
9.9

A garden plant with clusters of bright red flowers

Maltese cross
8.2

A cross with four equal arms shaped like broad arrowheads that meet at the center

Maltese dog
2.7

A very small dog with long, straight white silky fur

Maltese language
8.6

The national language of Malta with Arabic roots and many European words

Maltese lira
8.9

Money that Malta used until 2008

Maltese terrier
3.5

A small pet dog with long silky white hair

Surface Forms

Maltese singular
Maltese plural

Etymology

Maltese used for a bluish-grey cat colour probably comes from the idea of cats linked to the island Malta, and English speakers came to use Maltese for that special 'blue-grey' fur. So when people call a cat a Maltese they mean its fur is that blue-grey colour.