adjective

1. of Malta or its people, language, or culture
2. of the medieval Knights of Malta

noun

1. pl. Maltese -·tese′ a person born or living in Malta
2. the Semitic language spoken in Malta, closely related to Arabic, strongly influenced by Italian, and written in the Latin alphabet
3. pl. Maltese -·tese′
   1. any of a breed of toy dog with a coat of long, silky, white hair that hangs nearly to the ground and with a tail that curls over the back
   2. any of a variety of shorthaired domestic cat with bluish-gray fur