dewlap

From Middle English dewlappe.^[1] The first element may be dew (and if not, seems to have been altered by folk etymology to resemble it); the second element is lap (“loose fabric”), Old English læppa (“a loose hanging piece”);^[2] compare jellop and jowlop (from jowl + lap), and dewclaw. Compare old Norwegian and Danish doglæp^[2] (the modern Danish word for "dew" is dug,^[3] but compare Old Norse dǫgg (“dew”) and Norwegian dogg). Old English instead terms such skin the frǣt-læppa (whence Middle English fresh-lappe).^[1]

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdu.læp/, /ˈdju.læp/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdjuː.læp/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːlæp

dewlap (plural dewlaps)

1. The pendulous skin under the neck of an ox, or a similar feature on any other animal.
   • 1901 – 1902, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles

     Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame.

2. The sagging flesh on the throat of an elderly human.
   • 2017, Bernard MacLaverty, “Chapter 2”, in Midwinter Break, page 36:

     He ended up looking at himself in the mirror. His image stared back at him. He was developing a dewlap - a definite dewlap. He waggled under his chin scornfully with his fingers.

• pawled