lapdog
lapdog Lexical Profile
lapdog Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, docile domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris), typically of a toy breed such as a Pekingese, Maltese, or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, that is small enough to be held comfortably in a person's lap and kept primarily as a companion.
"The elderly duchess rarely left her estate without her pampered little lapdog curled up in her arms."
A person, organization, or state that is completely subservient to and controlled by a more powerful figure or entity, willingness to obey every command in exchange for favor.
"Critics accused the committee chairman of acting as a mere lapdog for corporate lobbyists."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late Middle English as a compound of 'lap' (from Old English 'lappa') and 'dog', originally referring to small companion breeds favored by the nobility before acquiring its figurative, derogatory sense of a servile follower in the 17th century.