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View synonyms for

vampire

[ vam-pahyuhr ]

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. a person who preys mercilessly upon others, such as a blackmailer
  3. See vamp 1
  4. theatre a trapdoor on a stage
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • vampiric, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • ·辱· [vam-, pir, -ik], ·辱· [vam, -pahy, uh, r-ish], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vampire1

First recorded in 1725–35; from French or directly from German Vampir, from Serbo-Croatian àī, alteration of earlier upir (by confusion with doublets such as vȁzdūh, ȕzdūh “air” (from Slavic ŭ- ), and with intrusive nasal, as in dùbrava, dumbrȁva “grove”); akin to Czech ܱí, Polish ܱ辱ó, Old Russian upyrĭ, upirĭ ( Russian ܱýʾ ), from unattested Slavic -辱ĭ or ǫ-辱ĭ, probably a compound noun formed with unattested root per- “fly, rush” (literal meaning variously interpreted)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vampire1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

“Sinners” features a refreshingly original plot that is part Jim Crow period piece about two brothers who open a juke joint, part vampire thriller.

From

“Sinners,” the highly anticipated period drama delivering a mashup of horror, music and vampires, scored a solid opening, topping the holiday box office with $45.6 million.

From

Structurally, the vampires don’t appear until the second half, which gives us plenty of time to get into rhythm with our human characters.

From

Fueled by a lifetime love of horror, the filmmaker developed a plot that resurrected the life force of the early blues scene and merged it with the intriguing possibilities inherent in a vampire’s eternal lifespan.

From

Described by the Guardian as a "deliciously pulpy supernatural soap opera", the TV version was part of a craze for vampire stories that also included Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight and True Blood.

From

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