Dewlappe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flap of loose skin that hangs from the throat or neck of certain animals, such as cattle, lizards, and some birds
2. The pendulous fold of skin beneath the chin or throat of animals like oxen, iguanas, and turkeys
3. A hanging pouch of loose skin on the underside of the neck, found in several kinds of animals and often used in display

Etymology: Under a cow's chin hangs a loose fold of skin, and for centuries English speakers simply called it a flap. The second half of the name, "lappe," is the Middle English word for a hanging flap or loose piece of cloth or skin, and it is related to the Old English "lappa," which also gave us "lap" in the sense of the flap of a garment. The first half, "dew," is the puzzle. The story that the fold collects dew is a folk explanation, and the origin of "dew" in this compound is uncertain. The word was used of cattle first, and later extended to similar fleshy flaps on other animals. Modern usage applies it to the wattle of birds, the throat sac of some lizards, and the loose skin of other creatures, which is the same basic idea of a hanging fold of throat skin.