variants
or less commonly lap dog
plural lapdogs also lap dogs
1
: a small dog (such as a Chihuahua or Pomeranian) that may be held in the lap
2
: a servile dependent or follower
"We had a choice of being attack dogs or lapdogs," said a G.O.P. lawmaker.—
Jacob V. Lamar
Jacob V. Lamarlap dog politicians
Examples of lapdog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kan and Noda, both former finance ministers, are now criticized as lapdogs of Tokyo's powerful mandarins, chiefly because of their willingness to raise taxes.
—Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2011
On the other hand, toy breeds, like Pomeranians, prefer to be lapdogs, according to the American Kennel Club.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
The Blenheim Cavalier is a true lapdog: easygoing, obedient, insinuating.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
In the weeks and months since, we’ve been inundated with reports of Scheana (and Sandy’s lapdog, Schwartz) hanging out with Sandoval during filming and partying in his hotel suite during BravoCon.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lapdog 
Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2011
On the other hand, toy breeds, like Pomeranians, prefer to be lapdogs, according to the American Kennel Club.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
The Blenheim Cavalier is a true lapdog: easygoing, obedient, insinuating.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
In the weeks and months since, we’ve been inundated with reports of Scheana (and Sandy’s lapdog, Schwartz) hanging out with Sandoval during filming and partying in his hotel suite during BravoCon.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lapdog
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lapdog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lapdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapdog. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lapdog
noun
lap·dog
ˈlap-ˌdȯg 
: a dog small enough to be held in the lap
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