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Glite Dictionary
Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

8 4.3
A small long-haired dog from China with a short nose and flowing coat
  • noun
  • /ʃɪ tu/
: Shih Tzu
  • My Aunt Gayle loved them, and she used to give them to her Shih Tzu.
  • Shih Tzu dog
  • old Shih Tzu
  • little Shih Tzu

Now, you could bring dogs because I've got a little Maltese, Shih Tzu cross, they call it a shit Maltese.

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Examples

  • And then this was a little dog kennel, but they had a little Shih Tzu dog and this is going away as well.

  • "She gave them to her Shih Tzu?"

    Fiction book (2002)

  • I got her to keep my Shih Tzu company, and they get along great.

    Blog text (10)

  • She is my little Shih Tzu and I love her with all my heart.

  • The one with the little Shih Tzu, Asher.

  • Has anyone seen my Shih Tzu Fee-fee?

    The Addams Family (2019)

  • I have a mini pin and would not suggest miniatures to a new dog owner; in my experience, they are harder to train and bark and bite more. My first dog was a Shih Tzu; she was a great dog, very low key.

    Blog text (1)

  • Stanley met a really cute Shih Tzu today.

  • I rescued a 7-year-old Shih Tzu from a puppy mill in January.

  • Jesse spent the day with Josiah, playing with the tiny Shih Tzu dog his parents had bought him as an opening-night gift.

How Big

Great Dane
14 2.6
Labrador
10 1.9
beagle
21 1.3
Shih Tzu
8 4.3
Chihuahua
37 3.3

Surface Forms

Shih Tzu singular
Shih Tzus plural

Morphology

Shih + Tzu

This is a lexicalized proper name borrowed from Chinese (a transliteration) whose constituents are a surname/element ('Shih') and an uninterpretable token ('Tzu') in English; neither part denotes 'dog' or breed characteristics. A B1 learner who knows these parts in English would not be able to derive the meaning 'a small long-haired breed of dog', so the expression is not compositional for typical learners.

Etymology

The name Shih Tzu comes from old Chinese words shih and tzu, which together mean 'lion dog'. These small, long-haired dogs were kept by Chinese and Tibetan kings and queens and were made to look like tiny lions, so the name now refers to this friendly small companion breed.