lapdog
Americannoun
-
a small pet dog that can easily be held in the lap.
-
a person or group that submits to the influence of another; a servile follower.
Regulatory agencies are supposed to be watchdogs, but some have become lapdogs of the industries they oversee.
noun
-
a pet dog small and docile enough to be cuddled in the lap
-
informal a person who attaches himself to someone in admiration or infatuation
Etymology
Origin of lapdog
First recorded in 1635–45; lap 1 + dog ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On several occasions she had a little lapdog with her — I can’t remember the breed — and periodically, if it appeared to be causing trouble, she’d pick it up and hold it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
One writer, whom Rhodes declined to identify, argued that a well-behaved lapdog would be less distracting than an animal whining from the backseat.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
Holding her lapdog Daisy to her chest, Trotsak looked around at the quiet street with wonder.
From Reuters ● May 4, 2022
Bronzino’s Mannerism jumps out from the first gallery in a 1532-33 portrait of an imperious young woman in brilliant red with a lapdog.
From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2021
But for years, even the sight of a lapdog in a lady’s arms made me quiver with fear.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
