vampire

 
Pronunciation: /ˈvampʌɪə/

noun

  • 1a corpse supposed, in European folklore, to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.
  • a person who preys ruthlessly on others: the protectionist vampires in the Congress
  • 2 (also vampire bat) a small bat that feeds on the blood of mammals or birds using its two sharp incisor teeth and anticoagulant saliva, found mainly in tropical America. See also false vampire
    • Family Desmodontidae (or Phyllostomidae): three species, in particular the common vampire (Desmodus rotundus)
  • 3 (also vampire trap) Theatre a small spring trapdoor used for sudden disappearances from a stage.

Derivatives

vampiric

Pronunciation: /-ˈpɪrɪk/
adjective

Origin:

mid 18th century: from French, from Hungarian vampir, perhaps from Turkish uber 'witch'