a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of sleeping people
a S American bat that feeds on blood and is dangerous to human beings and domestic animals, esp as a transmitter of diseases such as rabies
any of several species of S American bats that feed on blood and are dangerous to human beings and domestic animals, esp as transmitters of diseases such as rabies: family Desmodontidae
any of several other bats that do not feed on blood but are sometimes reputed to do so: family Megadermatidae and others
a person who lives by preying on and exploiting others
vampiric /vamʹpirik/ adj
vampirism noun
[French vampire or German Vampir, from Hungarian vampir]