Dracula

American  

[drak-yuh-luh] / ˈdræk jə lə /

noun

1. (italics) a novel (1897) by Bram Stoker.

2. Count, the central character in this novel: the archetype of a vampire.

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Etymology

Origin of Dracula

Origin uncertain; perhaps from Romanian Drăculea, a diminutive or patronymic of drăcul “the dragon,” and derived from a knightly order called the “Order of the Dragon” ( Ordo Draconum ), founded in 1408 by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund ( 1368–1437 ), then king of Hungary, to defend Christianity and the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. After Vlad II Dracul (c. 1395–1447 ) was admitted to the order around 1431, he wore the dragon emblem of the order. Later, when Vlad II was prince of Wallachia (now part of Romania), his coinage bore the image of the dragon, from which the name Dracula is derived. Vlad II’s son, Vlad III (Vlad Ţepeş “Vlad the Impaler,” c.1431–c.1476 ) is most likely the model for the Bram Stoker character. Cf. dragon

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dracula

Amid soft murmurs about necessary procedures, the state takes on the placid, gentle but utterly unyielding personality of a classic movie villain—not Dracula, Nurse Ratched.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Unused to staying in a strange place, Dracula kept jumping off the bed and back on again, unable to get situated.

From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2026

Here Mina and her friend Lucy Westenra sit among the graves, sketching and talking, later, watching clouds gather for the storm that would bring the Demeter, and Count Dracula, to Whitby.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

He picked up Christopher Lee at the airport once, and — as a big fan of Dracula — he half-believed he saw the English actor transforming into a vampire while they drove to the club.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

After lunch, Sahil and I talked about our movie project and how we were going to watch Dracula together tonight at Maddie’s.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon