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

If the canary wouldn’t sing, if the milkman was late, if the Pekingese had fleas, if an old coot in a starched collar had a heart attack on the way to church, that was the smog. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

We Pekingese are reared on shark fins, curlew liver, and the breast of quail; for drink, the milk of antelopes that pasture in imperial parks. —Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Pekingese had a rate of BOAS similar to bulldogs, with only 11 percent of pekingese dogs breathing freely. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026

Pekingese are intelligent yet stubborn, best trained with gentle, consistent reinforcement. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 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