Pekingese

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːz

Alternative forms

• Pekinese

Origin

From Peking (the Postal Map romanization of Beijing) + -ese

Full definition of Pekingese

Proper noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China
2. the Beijing dialect of Chinese, as distinct from standardized Mandarin

Usage notes

Although the term Pekingese can now feel dated owing to the growing use of pinyin Beijing in current English, it remains more common than its synonyms, none of which have gained wide acceptance in reference to the natives and expatriates of the city. Cf. the use of Cantonese for the language and people of present-day Guangdong but Suzhounese for the dialect of the former Soochow.

Synonyms

• Beijingese
• Beijinger

Noun

1. A small toy dog from China.

Adjective

adjective

1. of or related to Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China

Synonyms

• Peking
• Beijing
• Beijingese