Meanings
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1
noun
a small, tame dog that can be held comfortably on a person's lap
The elderly spaniel had spent most of its life as a pampered lapdog.
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2
noun
disapproving: a person or organization that obediently serves someone powerful
Critics accused the newspaper of acting as the minister's political lapdog.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A compound of lap + dog, originally naming a dog small enough to sit on a person's lap. The figurative use compares an excessively obedient dependent or supporter to a pampered pet that stays close to its owner.