n.
- A reanimated corpse that is believed to rise from the grave at night to suck the blood of sleeping people.
- A person, such as an extortionist, who preys upon others.
- A vampire bat.
[French, from German Vampir, of Slavic origin.]
vampiric vam·pir'ic (văm-pĭr'ĭk) or vam·pir'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) or vam'pir'ish (-ĭsh) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
