lapdog

or lap dog

[ lap-dawg, dog ]

noun

1. a small pet dog that can easily be held in the lap.
2. 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.

lapdog

/ ˈlæpˌdɒɡ /

noun

1. a pet dog small and docile enough to be cuddled in the lap
2. informal.
   a person who attaches himself to someone in admiration or infatuation

Word History and Origins

Origin of lapdog¹

First recorded in 1635–45; lap ¹ + dog ( def )

Example Sentences

On the other hand, he trusted his most faithful lapdog, former Vice President Mike Pence, to follow his orders to usurp the Constitution and look where it got him.

From Salon

The same goes for House Republicans, who’ve long been Trump’s lapdogs, and impediments to good governance.

From Los Angeles Times

Woike: The portrayal of Blake Griffin seems way off to me — someone who I never viewed as a selfish teammate or as a Sterling lapdog.

From Los Angeles Times

One mysterious and gruesome murder follows another — all orchestrated by the white men in Osage country but most importantly it's all been constructed by Hale and his money-hungry lapdog Ernest.

From Salon

The interviewers reveal themselves as spineless simps no less annoying than the lapdogs who spent years crotch-nuzzling former President Barack Obama.

From Washington Times