[ 'vampʌɪə ]
■ noun
1》 (in folklore) a corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living.
↘a person who ruthlessly exploits others.
2》 a small bat that feeds on blood by piercing the skin with its incisor teeth, found mainly in tropical America. [ Desmodus rotundus and other species.]
3》 (also ~ trap ) Theatre a small spring trapdoor used for sudden disappearances from a stage.
Derivatives
vampiric -'pɪrɪk adjective
vampirism noun
Origin
C18: from Fr., from Hungarian vampir , perh. from Turk. uber 'witch'.