vampire

[vam-pahy^uhr]

noun

1. a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.

2. (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.

3. a person who preys ruthlessly upon others; extortionist.

4. a woman who unscrupulously exploits, ruins, or degrades the men she seduces.

5. an actress noted for her roles as an unscrupulous seductress.

   the vampires of the silent movies.

vampire

/ ˈvæmpaɪə, væmˈpɪrɪk /

noun

1. (in European folklore) a corpse that rises nightly from its grave to drink the blood of the living

2. See vampire bat

3. a person who preys mercilessly upon others, such as a blackmailer

4. See vamp 1

5. theatre a trapdoor on a stage

Other Word Forms

• vampiric adjective
• vampirish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vampire¹

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)

Word History and Origins

Origin of vampire¹

C18: from French, from German Vampir, from Magyar; perhaps related to Turkish uber witch, Russian upyr vampire

Example Sentences

A vampire movie released unusually early in the awards year doesn't exactly scream Oscars contender.

From BBC

The category is completed by vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, therapist comedy Shrinking and Hollywood satire The Studio.

From BBC

I’ve been to high school football games that are more dangerous than what you see in most of D.C. — even late at night when the political vampires roam the dark alleys of Georgetown.

From Salon

Young adult comedies are best when the misery of high school is paired with other extreme types of terror — a plane crash, a supernatural mystery, vampires.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sinners” transforms mid-film to become a vampire bloodbath, while the words “demon hunters” are right there in the other movie’s title.

From Salon

Related Words

• demon 
• devil 
• phantom 
• shadow 
• soul 
• specter 
• vision