hematophagous

[hee-muh-tof-uh-guhs, hem-uh-]

adjective

1. feeding on blood, as the vampire bat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hematophagous¹

First recorded in 1850–55; hemato- + -phagous

Example Sentences

It also suggests that the evolution of hematophagy was more complicated than had been suspected, with hematophagous males in the distant past.

From Science Daily

That's noteworthy because, among modern-day mosquitoes, only females are hematophagous, meaning that they use piercing mouthparts to feed on the blood of people and other animals.

From Science Daily