maltese terrier
Preserved but no longer current.
An ancient breed of lap-dog, somewhat resembling a Skye terrier though not really a terrier at all. In colour it is pure white, though occasionally marked with fawn; the face and sides are clothed with long, silky hair and the highly-plumed tail usually curves over the back.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “maltese terrier” mean?
An ancient breed of lap-dog, somewhat resembling a Skye terrier though not really a terrier at all. In colour it is pure white, though occasionally marked with fawn; the face and sides are clothed with long, silky hair and the highly-plumed tail usually curves over the back.
Is “maltese terrier” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.