vampirism

[vam-pahy^uhr-iz-uhm, -puh-riz-]

noun

1. belief in the existence of vampires.

2. the acts or practices of vampires.

3. unscrupulous exploitation, ruin, or degradation of others.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vampirism¹

First recorded in 1785–95; vampire + -ism

Example Sentences

But nobody wants Remmick at this fish fry, and the rules of vampirism, and the Culture, explain why he can’t force his way in.

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When Louis picks the offer of vampirism to pull himself out of his funk, he immediately regrets it.

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Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism."

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Many of such binaries will at some point transfer mass from one star to another, a kind of stellar vampirism depicted in this artist’s impression.

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When Jonathan comes under the count's spell and begins slipping into vampirism, it is Mina who must rescue him and join the hunt for Dracula in England.

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