vampire
Americannoun
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a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.
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(in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned.
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a person who preys ruthlessly upon others; extortionist.
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a woman who unscrupulously exploits, ruins, or degrades the men she seduces.
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an actress noted for her roles as an unscrupulous seductress.
the vampires of the silent movies.
noun
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(in European folklore) a corpse that rises nightly from its grave to drink the blood of the living
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See vampire bat
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a person who preys mercilessly upon others, such as a blackmailer
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See vamp 1
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theatre a trapdoor on a stage
Other Word Forms
- vampiric adjective
- vampirish adjective
Etymology
Origin of vampire
First recorded in 1725–35; from French or directly from German Vampir, from Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr, alteration of earlier upir (by confusion with doublets such as vȁzdūh, ȕzdūh “air” (from Slavic vŭ- ), and with intrusive nasal, as in dùbrava, dumbrȁva “grove”); akin to Czech upír, Polish upiór, Old Russian upyrĭ, upirĭ ( Russian upýrʾ ), from unattested Slavic u-pirĭ or ǫ-pirĭ, probably a compound noun formed with unattested root per- “fly, rush” (literal meaning variously interpreted)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bones transformed classical singer Charlotte Church into her drag sister, named Blood, and the pair donned co-ordinated cream silk and lace outfits as part of a vampire wedding fantasy.
From BBC
The results mirrored a 2020 study of vampire bats showing that newcomers also test the waters, slowly progressing from grooming relationships to more substantial food-sharing partnerships with trusted companions.
From Science Daily
It was a great idea to start with the vampires, a Wes Craven-style of scaring the s— out of the audience and then building up the story.
From Los Angeles Times
“The seductive vampire is, by definition, a source of irresistible fascination,” Cameron said.
From Salon
Fans can expect to enjoy plenty of tricks and treats from the vampires, zombies and skeletons.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
