n.1 a ghost or reanimated corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to suck the blood of persons sleeping.
2 a person who preys ruthlessly on others.
3 (in full vampire bat) any tropical (esp. South American) bat of the family Desmodontidae, with incisors for piercing flesh and feeding on blood.
4 Theatr. a small spring trapdoor used for sudden disappearances.
Derivatives:
vampiric adj.
Etymology: F vampire or G Vampir f. Magyar vampir perh. f. Turk. uber witch