Pekingese

noun

Pe·​king·​ese ˌpē-kə-ˈnēz  -ˈnēs 

-kiŋ-ˈēz,

-ˈēs

variants or Pekinese

plural Pekingese or Pekinese

1

a

: the Chinese dialect of Beijing

b

: a native or resident of Beijing

2

: any of a Chinese breed of small short-legged dogs with a broad flat face and a profuse long soft coat

Illustration of Pekingese

• Pekingese 2

Examples of Pekingese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of these breeds, like bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, shih tzus, Pekingese, and Japanese chin, are well-suited to shorter walks and indoor play and are prone to overheating, so their activity should be adjusted accordingly. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

In 2024, an 8-year-old Pekingese named Wild Thang took top honors at the competition. —Erin Clack, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Team Fluff includes Julep, a St. Bernard mix and the first of its breed to compete, and Smoosh, the only Pekingese featured in the game. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

There’s no crying in football… except for Smoosh Smoosh, the Puppy Bowl’s first-ever Pekingese, provides one of the true emotional moments. —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Pekingese

noun

Pe·​king·​ese

variants or Pekinese

ˌpē-kən-ˈēz  -kiŋ- 

-ˈēs

plural Pekingese or Pekinese

1

a

: the Chinese dialect of Peking

b

: a person born or living in Peking

2

: any of a Chinese breed of small short-legged dogs with a broad flat face and a long soft coat