The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Maltese dog \Maltese dog\ n. (Zool.)
   A breed of toy dog having a long straight silky white coat;
   also called a Maltese.
   [WordNet 1.5]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Maltese \Mal*tese"\ (m[add]l*t[=e]s" or m[add]l*t[=e]z"), prop.
   a.
   Of or pertaining to Malta or to its inhabitants. -- n. sing.
   & pl. A native or inhabitant of Malta; the people of Malta.
   [1913 Webster]

   Maltese cross. See Illust. 5, of Cross.

   Maltese dog (Zool.), a breed of small terriers, having long
      silky white hair. The breed originated in Malta.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Maltese
    adj 1: of or relating to the island or republic of Malta or its
           inhabitants; "Maltese customs officers"
    n 1: a native or inhabitant of Malta
    2: 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 [syn: Maltese, Maltese
       language, Malti]
    3: a term applied indiscriminately in the United States to any
       short-haired bluish-grey cat [syn: Maltese, Maltese cat]
    4: breed of toy dogs having a long straight silky white coat
       [syn: Maltese dog, Maltese terrier, Maltese]