A
dewlap is a flap of
skin that hangs beneath the
lower jaw or
neck of many
vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a
double chin or the submandibular
vocal sac of a
frog. In a more general manner, the term refers to any pendulous mass of skin, such as a fold of loose skin on an elderly
person's neck, or the
wattle of a
bird. Dewlaps can be considered as a
caruncle, defined as 'a small, fleshy excrescence that is a normal part of an animal's anatomy'.