noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈʃɪtzuː/
General-American:/ˈʃɪtzuː/
General-American:/ˈʃiːtsuː/
shœʹdzœ′
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A small dog breed which originated in China; a dog of that breed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Alternative letter-case form of Shih Tzu.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From the Wade–Giles romanisation shih1-tzŭ5 of Mandarin 獅子 /狮子 (shīzi, “lion”), a contraction of 獅子狗 /狮子狗 (shīzigǒu, literally “lion dog”), from the breed's resemblance to Chinese guardian lion statues. The original Mandarin word now refers only to the Pekingese, while this breed now properly goes by the name 西施犬 (xīshīquǎn, literally “Xi Shi dog”).
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تشيه تزو
— small dog breed which originated in China
Chinese Cantonese:
西施犬
(sai1 si1 hyun2)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Chinese Mandarin:
西施犬
(xīshīquǎn)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Czech:
shih-tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Finnish:
shih tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
French:
shih tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Hebrew:
שי טסו
— small dog breed which originated in China
Hungarian:
si-cu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Japanese:
シーズー
(shīzū)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Korean:
시추
(sichu)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Lithuanian:
Ši Cu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Persian:
شیتزو
— small dog breed which originated in China
Polish:
shih tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Portuguese:
shih-tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Portuguese:
shi tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Portuguese:
shi-tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Punjabi:
شی زو
(śī zo)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Russian:
ши-тцу́
(ši-tcú)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Thai:
ซือจื่อ
— small dog breed which originated in China
Ukrainian:
ши-цу
(šy-cu)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Ukrainian:
ші-тсу
(ši-tsu)
— small dog breed which originated in China
Vietnamese:
thạch sư khuyển
— small dog breed which originated in China
Vietnamese:
shih tzu
— small dog breed which originated in China
Welsh:
Shi Tsw
— small dog breed which originated in China
