Dalmatian

1 of 2

noun

Dal·​ma·​tian dal-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce Dalmatian (audio)
plural Dalmatians
1
or less commonly dalmatian : any of a breed of medium-sized dogs having a white short-haired coat with many black or brown spots
2
: a native or inhabitant of Dalmatia
3
: a Romance language developed from colloquial Latin and extinct by the late 19th century that was spoken on the Dalmatian coast and Adriatic islands

Illustration of Dalmatian

Illustration of dalmatian
  • dalmatian 1

Dalmatian

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to Dalmatia (a region of the western Balkan Peninsula on the Adriatic Sea) or its people

Examples of Dalmatian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Originally more than 22,965 feet long, the ancient walls wind over the hillsides, offering stunning views of the Dalmatian countryside and the 4,000-year-old salt pans below. Tia Lovisa Moreira, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 Split, Croatia Set on the Dalmatian coast, Split is a joy to discover. Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The food is serious, the wine is local, and what started as an unlikely concept has quietly become one of the hardest reservations to get on the entire Dalmatian coast. Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 21 May 2026 Model Coco Rocha made a statement in a black and white gown from Christian Siriano Spring 2026 that would make any Dalmatian owner a bit uneasy. Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Apr. 2026 The Dalmatian pattern is a popular motif among Rowen Rose’s designs. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026 But unlike some of Budweiser’s heartwarming coming-of-age commercials of the past, the 2026 entry features an eaglet instead of a golden retriever or Dalmatian puppies. Gary T. Mills, Florida Times-Union, 26 Jan. 2026 In a viral TikTok clip, a Labrador retriever and her little Dalmatian sister try to sail on board their small doggy pool. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

(sense 1) from the supposed origin of the breed in Dalmatia

First Known Use

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

circa 1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dalmatian was in 1581

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Cite this Entry

“Dalmatian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dalmatian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

dalmatian

noun
dal·​ma·​tian dal-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce dalmatian (audio)
often capitalized
: any of a breed of dogs that have a white short-haired coat with many black or brown spots
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