Definition of "Maltese" :

noun: breed of toy dogs having a long straight silky white coat

noun: a term applied indiscriminately in the United States to any short-haired bluish-grey cat

noun: the national language of the Republic of Malta; a Semitic language derived from Arabic but with many loan words from Italian, Spanish, and Norman-French

noun: a native or inhabitant of Malta

adjective: of or relating to the island or republic of Malta or its inhabitants

"Maltese customs officers."